Winter Macaroni Cheese

Winter Macaroni Cheese – I absolutely love macaroni cheese!

But my winter macaroni cheese is something else! That’s because I add butternut squash for that extra bite and flavour.

I sometimes add peas as well! That’s because I have a bit of a love of peas!

This is one of my favourite dishes at Christmas time, you know that feeling, after Christmas Day when you know you’re a bit peckish but you can’t eat anymore big festive dinners!

A couple of spoonfuls of this delicious, comforting winter macaroni cheese in a bowl, because if you’re like me, everything tastes better in a bowl and you’ve filled that hole in your tummy!

This recipe serves 4-6 people

Winter Macaroni Cheese Ingredients

• 500g of butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into good sized chunks
• 1 clove of garlic chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 225g dry macaroni
• 40g butter
• 40g plain flour
• 600ml semi-skimmed milk
• 175g mature cheddar cheese (I like really strong mature cheese for mine)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/GM 5.
2. Put the squash in a roasting tin and scatter over the garlic and sage.
3. Drizzle over the olive oil.
4. Roast for 30 minutes until tender and golden.
5. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
6. Drain well and set aside.
7. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and then stir in the flour.
8. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk to from a sauce.
9. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly until it comes to the boil.
10. Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes until the sauce thickens.
11. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in two-thirds of the grated cheese.
12. Preheat the grill to high.
13. Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce.
14. Then carefully fold in the roasted squash.
15. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish and scatter over the rest of the grated cheese.
16. Grill for 3-5 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.

Serve in a bowl, or for a more substantial meal, I like to serve mine with meat free sausages.

For something that little bit different that’s tasty and comforting, try my winter macaroni cheese, perfect for vegetarians or meat eaters alike.