Chorizo Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese

You are not going to believe how good this Chorizo Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese tastes, it’s the best mac n cheese I’ve ever eaten!  Really, you are going to have to make it to see and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

It all started when I spied a recipe by Camilla at Fab Food 4 All for One Pot Butternut Squash & Chorizo Casserole which got me thinking about the combination of Butternut Squash and chorizo, then I found a  Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese from Ciara at My Fussy Eater.  Both of these are excellent recipes just not the one I wanted to make. Thank you both for the inspiration, I’m not sure Chorizo Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese would have been developed without your help! 

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make the butternut squash sauce and if you want to make a double batch while the oven is on, then Ciara says you can freeze it for a quick and tasty after work meal, on the table in under 30 minutes.  It’s certainly inspired me to to try using butternut squash as a sauce in other ways although,  whether I’ll be able to get past this recipe for Chorizo Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese, I don’t know!

Chorizo and Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese

Packed full of flavour, this chorizo filled mac n cheese with a butternut squash sauce will blow you away with it's lusciousness

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: cheesecake, chorizo, comfort food, pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 570

Author: Janice Pattie

Ingredients

• 225 g chorizo ring
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 200 g macaroni or other pasta of your choice
• 200 ml whole milk
• 100 g grated cheddar or other hard cheese
• 1 tsp butter
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• An additional 50g of grated cheese optional

Metric - US Customary units

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 200C
• Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut edge of the squash with oil and place cut side down on a roasting tin.
• Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is soft all the way through.
• While the squash is roasting, peel the skin off the chorizo and cut into small dice (1-2 cm)
• Heat a frying pan to medium and put the chorizo into the pan, the red paprika oil will start to come out of the chorizo, you want the chorizo pieces to be slightly crispy round the edges, keep them moving so they don't burn. Once cooked take off the heat.
• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
• Once the squash has cooked remove it from the oven and scoop out the soft flesh straight into your blender (I used my ThermoCook) or food processor.
• Add the milk, cheese and butter and process until all the ingredients are blended and you have a thick sauce, if too thick add a little more milk.
• Drain the pasta and mix with the chorizo, including the oils, and butternut squash sauce. Taste and season as required.
• You can serve immediately or put into an ovenproof dish, cover with grated cheese and either bake immediately (200C) for 15 minutes. Or you can leave it till later and reheat from cold at 160C for 30-40 minutes.

Notes

Adapted from My Fussy Eater Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 869mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 20495IU | Vitamin C: 39.4mg | Calcium: 337mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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