This recipe makes about 36 "cupcakes." These are great healthy sides or snacks to grb-n-go. If your kid doesn't like butternut squash, simply present as mac n' cheese cupcakes. The squash lends the recipe a nice smooth balance without being a dead giveaway. Because we doubled the recipe we froze half, which reheat very well for an easy side or snack another night. To make it vegan, you could use soy or almond milk and vegan cheese (see notes below).
1 pound elbow macaroni
20 ounces butternut squash (a big time saver to buy it precut)
2 cups whole milk (soy milk for vegan)
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated*
2 cups gruyere cheese, grated*
1/2 cup ricotta cheese*
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
24 paper cupcake liners
* vegan equivalent
For the topping:
1/2 cup hard cheese, grated (I used a mix of parmesan, Romano, and asiago)
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 TBSP olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Place the squash in the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about five minutes or until soft, being careful not to scald the milk.
In a smaller saucepan, cook the chopped onions for about two minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper.
Transfer the contents of both saucepans to a blender or food processor. Combine until smooth, creating a purée.
Pour the puree back into the large saucepan. Stir in the shredded cheeses and ricotta until melted. Add the mustard and cayenne pepper.
Add the pasta to the cheese mixture and combine until all the pasta is well coated.
Fill cupcake liners with the mixture to the very top.
For the topping, combine grated cheese, Panko breadcrumbs and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the mac and cheese cupcakes.
Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.
* For the Vegan -- You can use your favorite brands. For example, add in 1/4 cup of Nutritional yeast (Bragg's and Bob's Red Mill both make) and Daiya Medium Cheddar style Farmhouse block. For a ricotta substitute try Tofutti Better than Ricotta Cheese.
If you are making both versions, divide the dairy and non-dairy ingredients and half the pasta, substituting 1/2 of the cheese for vegan options and half the milk for soy. \
For the Gluten-free -- Both Kikkoman and Ian's make very good gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs. Also be sure to use Gluten-free pasta. There are so many brands - both Jovial organic brown rice pasta and Barilla make easy to find tasty options.