Main dishes Recipes Vegetarian

Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Healthy Mac ‘n Cheese sounds like an oxymoron, right?  But here we have it. Delicious, quick, and easy.

Amelia’s Squash Mac and Cheese

12 oz whole wheat macaroni noodles

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 8-oz package mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 can fat-free evaporated milk (see picture below)

14 oz box frozen pureed squash, thawed (see example below)

1.5 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

  1. Prepare noodles according to package directions, making sure to liberally salt the pasta water.  Leave pasta in the strainer and return pot to the stove.
  2. In the pasta pot, saute onion and mushrooms in the butter (with generous pinch of salt & small pinch of pepper) over medium heat until onions soften (5-8 min), stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the flour to the pot and stir mixture for about a minute.
  4. Add full can of evaporated milk, whisk for ~3 minutes or until mixture has thickened a bit.
  5. Add thawed squash puree to pot and whisk to combine, then add cheeses and pinch of nutmeg and continue whisking until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted.
  6. Return the noodles to the pot and gently fold into noodles with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  7. Serve with some more sprinkles of Parmesan cheese, alongside a green salad or any vegetable side dish. Serves 6 people.

These are the key ingredients for making this recipe creamy and smooth, yet healthy.  Evaporated fat-free milk:

and frozen pureed squash.  You can cook fresh squash and puree it yourself, but this is an easy and cheap option:

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11 Comments

  • christa
    May 18, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    this looks amazing! do you ever put it in the stove to crisp up the top layer?

  • shelley hudson
    May 19, 2010 at 12:06 am

    If this mac n cheese is so great, why don’t you whip up a vat and bring it to my house tomorrow? We can eat it with the UNBELIEVEABLE marscapone/cinnamon corn! I made it tonight, and it rocks!

  • Tiffany
    May 22, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    mmmm! I love it!

  • Sabrina Ruiz
    May 28, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    Amazing Amelia strikes again!! I made this last night and oh my this was so delicious and creamy! You even won Shane over and he is one tough critic! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!! Keep the recipes coming!

  • small business grants
    June 3, 2010 at 7:26 pm

    Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

  • Lauren Dockweiler
    June 7, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    loved this! added some sauted kale with garlic mixed in and was in absolute heaven. thanks, meels!

  • Amelia
    June 8, 2010 at 9:45 am

    Adding kale & garlic…genius! Can’t wait to try!!

  • christa
    June 13, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    i just made a batch too. i didn’t have an onion, so i used a shallot. and to kick it up a bit, i put in some cayenne. it is delicious and i can’t wait to serve it to my guests (my parents – woo hoo!) as soon as they arrive.

  • Renee
    June 17, 2010 at 9:49 am

    Hey Meels!

    I am making Lobster Mac and Chesse for Fathers Day. Do you think I can use this recipe and just add the lobster or do you think I should change the cheeses up? I was thinking Gruyere, but your the expert!

  • LM
    October 19, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    Do you know what the calories and fat are in the recipe?

  • cori
    October 29, 2010 at 10:32 am

    can’t wait to make this and the pumpkin curried soup! YUMMMMMM 😉

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