My Favorite Macaroni Recipe!

This is my all time favorite macaroni and cheese recipe, which I recently overhauled to make both family and 21 Day Fix (the meal plan I follow) friendly!

Its easy to make and makes a lot so you can easily feed a family of 3 or 4 for 2 nights. I usually serve it with a side of veggies or sometimes chicken sausage for some extra protein. My tip for making pasta healthy is to ALWAYS use whole grain pasta and sneak in a veggie. If you aren't sure what to sneak in, go with spinach. You can't taste it and no one knows its there! You can even add additional spinach to this dish and it will taste just the same! 

Serving size is about 1 cup and approximate calories is 350 per serving. I count it as 2 yellows, 1 blue and 1/2 green for the 21 Day Fix program. 

Ingredients:

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk (can also use almond milk) 2 garlic cloves, peeled2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided1 pound uncooked whole wheat cavatappi (or macaroni noodles)Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Enjoy! It really is a family favorite! And no one will ever know its healthy!

(This recipe was originally modified from Cooking Light)