Stovetop Mac 'n Cheese
with quick green beans
This creamy stovetop mac 'n cheese comes together so quickly, especially when we use last night's butternut squash and sweet potato soup as the secret ingredient. And if you're paleo, don't worry. You'll be making a delicious pork chop with a honey dijon sauce - yum!
Ingredients
- American cheese - 3 oz, grated
- Cheese (e.g., cheddar, gruyere, parmesan) - 3 oz, grated
- Fun-shaped pasta (e.g., fusilli, shells, elbow) - 3/4 lb
- Leftover butternut squash soup - 1.5 cups
- Milk, any type - 1 cup
- Green beans / haricot verts - 1 lb ((haricot verts are skinny French green beans))
- Butter - 1 Tbsp
- Sliced almonds - 2 Tbsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Green beans – Trim off ends. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Cheese – Grate. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make
- Bring water to boil for pasta. When water boils, salt heavily, add pasta, cook till al dente, and drain
- In a >5 quart (4 73 liters) Dutch oven, heat up butternut squash soup until it’s lightly simmering
- Whisk in milk, and then add in your cheeses. Whisk or stir until melted and it forms a creamy cheese sauce
- Add in pasta and make sure cheese sauce covers every crevice. Season to taste with salt & pepper
- Place green beans into a microwave safe container, sprinkle with some salt, and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave for 2 to 2.5 minutes, depending on thickness of beans
- Toss with 1 tbs. (15 ml) butter and sliced almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
51 reviews
This is definitely a new family favorite! We used Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan, also spiced up the soup with nutmeg, paprika, and garlic powder. Hubby, one year old and three year old devoured!!
0 HelpfulPretty decent healthy mac n cheese... though I probably would have rather had the real deal. It looks deceivingly cheesy but tastes more like butternut squash and sweet potato than I'd like. The green beans were basic and tasty. I like the easy prep and cook time.
0 HelpfulMy kids ate it, but didn't love it. They kept asking me why I made it different from my usual personal mac & cheese recipe. I can't speak to it as I can't eat Gluten and didn't make these with GF noodles.
0 HelpfulLoved this- one of my favorite recipes. No one in my house (except for me) cared for the soup, so I didn't mention that it was an ingredient in this dish and everyone ate it up! I love mac & cheese, but this is one of my favorite recipes- the squash adds a complexity to the dish. Sharp cheese helps a lot- either sharp cheddar or goat.
0 HelpfulMade this with vegetable broth instead of squash. It was extremely delicious and filling, it seemed to make way too much to be only four servings! Saved it and microwaved it the next day!
0 Helpful