It’s not a very exciting way to end several months of not-blogging, but I wanted to share one of my favourite cold weather comfort food recipes. I made this on the weekend to share with Judy before we headed out for an afternoon of craft show hopping.

This recipe is based on one I found on the ‘net a few years back (I’ve long since lost the URL). I sent it to my sister, who greatly improved upon it and sent me her awesome version:

Servings

• 8 (this recipe freezes well and is great as leftovers)

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (approx 4 cups)
• 450 grams whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 450 grams shredded medium cheddar (about 4 cups)
• 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• preheat oven to 325°F
• slice squash in half and discard seeds; place, cut side down, in a pan with some water and roast for 1 hour until very tender
• when squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard; puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency; set aside
• bring a large pot of water to boil; boil pasta to al dente – about 6 minutes; drain pasta and set aside
• in a very large pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter and slowly stir in ½ cup flour to form a paste
• off heat, SLOWLY whisk in 2 cups of milk; return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens
• add pureed squash to the thickened sauce
• add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper
• stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1¾ cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls
• taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed
• add pasta to cheese/squash sauce and toss to coat evenly
• transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (9”x13” glass pan)
• cover the pasta with the remaining shredded cheese, and sprinkle on the bread crumbs
• bake in the oven at 325°F for 25 minutes
• let stand 10 minutes before serving