butternut squash and bacon macaroni and cheese
It's hard to believe that in less than two weeks I will be packing up my stuff, leaving Seattle, and heading back to the Midwest. Have I really been here 4 months already?! Although I'm so-incredibly-very-extremely excited to get home and see my family, I sure am going to miss Seattle. I mean, what's not to miss?
There's the hiking:
The mountains:
The markets:
Being within driving distance of this:
And the food! Oh my gosh don't even get me started. I have had the best meals of my life here, eaten with my very favorite people in the world. They were meals of love, laughter, and pure deliciousness that I will never, ever forget.
Since I am moving, I am trying to clean out my cupboards while still making legitimate meals for myself. I had half of a butternut squash from Thanksgiving that I had chopped up and stuck in the freezer(yes, you can do that!) along with a box of rotini pasta. Luck had it that I also had half of a package of bacon in the freezer also and before I knew it, I was whipping up a delicious dinner.
This recipe comes from Cooking Light but with the bacon and cheese in it, you'd never know it was a light recipe. I'm actually not sure how they can pull off calling it "light" but I'm not going to argue. This is pure, cheesy, delicious comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, diced, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and pepper
- 6 slices bacon
- 10 oz rotini pasta could also use penne or macaroni
- 3 shallots diced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk I used skim
- 2 cups Italian blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss butternut squash with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until tender.
- While squash is baking, fry up the bacon and cook the pasta.
- When bacon and pasta are cooked, combine them in a large bowl.
- Get rid of all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease, then over medium-high heat, add shallots in large skillet.
- Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour, stirring well to combine.
- Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, and let simmer for 1 minute to let thick slightly.
- Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Remove from heat and add 1 ½ cups of the cheese, stirring to combine.
- Add butternut squash to bowl with pasta and bacon, then pour cheese sauce over and toss to combine.
- Pour pasta into 9x13" baking dish and top with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
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20 Comments
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that close up picture looks FANTASTIC! and i'd love to join merry mondays, thx for the invite
What a lovely dish!! I bet the flavors are pure comfort!
I love Seattle too! How fun to be going home though.
What a fabulous recipe. You could have fooled everyone by never telling them that you used leftovers. This looks so gourmet and your additions make it that way.
Wow -- awesome recipe!
Can't wait to try it 🙂
i'm so excited that you are coming home, i could just cry!! My girl's coming HOME!!!
p.s. this recipe looks fabulous! 🙂
Ahhh...your pictures of Seattle are divine! I have not been there in a long time - it's a tough road trip from TX! And the mac and cheese is perfect comfort food! Looks yummy! Safe travel!
I have never been to Seattle but after Grey's Anatomy I have hoped to come and find a mcdreamy... Anywho, this looks so good- What a combo: pasta, bacon and cheese... mmm!
This recipe truly intrigues me. It is hard to imagine the flavor.
Mmm...love your macaroni dish...so comforting and delicious. Wish I can have that for lunch! 🙂
I could imagine how hard it would be to leave Seattle I hear its gorgeous!
x
Nicole
http://nicolefranzen.blogspot.com/
Oh, that sounds divine! Anything with bacon... 😉
Oh my, bacon and cheese! That sounds so good! I can't believe it's considered a "light"! I definitely want to try this!
I love Seattle... I bet you will miss it when you move.
The pasta sounds amazing - everything is better with bacon.
That mac and cheese looks to die for--be still, my heart! Best of luck with the moving process!
Isn't it crazy how fast time can fly?
And that's a very impressive looking meal. Especially for using up ingredients before moving. 🙂
I adore Seattle! Sighh.. I can almost smell the market. I need to head that way. I hope you have a good break back home.
This pasta looks wonderful!
Laura
yum!
You had me with bacon...Sounds heavnly.
I would love to live in Seattle one day, so I can see why you are kind of sad to be leaving! But this dish - what a perfect pasta dish!!
Beautiful pictures! I've only been to Seattle once, but we fully enjoyed our day.
The dish looks amazing! I'm a big CL fan, but the dishes haven't all seemed so "light" lately. No worries, though, still tasty!