Healthy Mac and Cheese: one heaping cup of comfort food for just under 400 calories. Simple, creamy, homemade goodness. So good!
Healthy Mac and Cheese
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So delicious! The butternut squash puree made it so creamy in combination with the cheese. This is my new go-to mac and cheese recipe!
Maddy
Watch How To Make This Recipe
No, I Really Mean It. Healthy Mac and Cheese.
Like mac and cheese that is healthy. Noodles with sauce that will secretly give you vegetables. Creamy sauce without boatloads of butter and flour. Favorite comfort food that packs a little nutrition.
I’ve been making variations of this recipe for the last few years, but always with extra stuff in it, because, you know, the whole food blog thing.
For example:
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Apples, and Bacon.
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Squash and Toasted Walnuts.
One of my favorite things about this saucy + healthy mac and cheese is the inclusion of a caramelized onion in the pureed sauce. The flavor gets a warm depth to it without the issue of the caramelized onion pieces floating around in there. No messing around with texture. Just smooth delicious sauce, creamy melted cheese, and noodles to bring it all together.
So if I were to have a bottom line here, it would be this –> make the sauce, cook some noodles, shred some cheese, and be happy.
Ingredients In This Recipe
Not to worry, there’s still cheese in this mac and cheese, but there are also a lot of delicious and nutritious things too! Here’s what you need:
- Macaroni
- Butter
- Onion
- Butternut squash
- Broth
- Milk
- Cheese
If you’re looking for ingredient substitutions, jump down to the FAQ!
How To Make Healthy Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese is so easy, and my favorite part is that the sauce just gets whizzed up in a blender. Essentially, there are only three steps to getting this from “I want some mac and cheese” to getting it on the table.
- Cook the Macaroni: Boil on the stove in water, as usual.
- Make the Sauce: Sauté the onion, cook the squash in broth, and blend it together with the milk.
- Combine: Mix together the blended sauce and noodles, and add the cheese. Stir and EAT!
Perfect in every way. I love this so much.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yep! Just use a dairy-free milk, and skip the cheese. It’ll be a saucier sauce, but still delicious. Alternatively, you can try this amazing vegan mac and cheese!
I don’t like onions. Can I skip them?
Yep! And if you like garlic instead, you could use sautéed garlic in place of onion.
Could I use a different squash?
Yes (kind of). I would stick to winter squashes that are similar to butternut so you get the right texture – acorn, honeynut, buttercup, and kabocha should all work in place of it.
Can I add meat to this?
Yes! This works great served alongside a meat main dish (like this air fryer chicken) or I could see some chicken meatballs being delicious as well.
What other veggies would be good to add?
In the mac and cheese itself, green peas are always a good option! You can add them to the boiling noodles for the last few minutes of cooking. Otherwise, a side of broccoli would be so good too.
Can this be made gluten-free?
Yep! Just use your favorite gluten-free noodle.
Healthy Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 – 1 heaping cup per serving 1x
Description
Healthy Mac and Cheese: one heaping cup of comfort food for just under 400 calories. Simple, creamy, homemade goodness. So good!
Ingredients
Units
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- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni – whole wheat, low glycemic, gluten free… any will work!
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 small butternut squash (4–5 cups cubed)
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup shredded cheese – I like Gruyère but any kind will work
- parsley for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook Macaroni: Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Onions: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Cut the onion into thin rings and add to the butter in the pan, sauteing over low heat until fragrant and golden, about 20 minutes.
- Cook Squash: Meanwhile, remove the skin and the seeds from the squash. Cut the flesh into small cubes. Bring the broth to a boil and add the squash. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup broth, and transfer squash to the blender.
- Blend Sauce: Add the onions, milk, salt, and reserved broth and puree until completely smooth and creamy. This should yield about 4 cups sauce.
- Mix Together: Pour the pureed sauce over the cooked noodles and add the shredded cheese. Stir to melt the cheese; add water or milk to adjust consistency as needed. Serve with parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Notes
When caramelizing the onions, keep the heat low to prevent burning. The deeper the golden color, the more flavorful they will be.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: healthy macaroni and cheese, healthy mac and cheese, mac and cheese, veggie mac and cheese
More Healthy Pastas
February 17, 2014
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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I love the fact that healthy and mac and cheese are in the same sentence! So brilliant to add caramelized onions right into the pureed sauce! I still haven’t tried the whole squash in sauce thang…but this means it’s gotta happen!
I put butter nut in sauces for the natural colour booster and for its sweet taste with out the addition of sugar; this is my fave trick for adding creamy textures to coconut cream free curries too. Fully rooting for this mac and cheese to be at my kitchen table.
What a great idea – I would have never thought of that! I’m going through an almond butter phase so I’ll have to try it out!
What is butter nut? How much do you add and does it replace something?! Thank you!
Hey there, Luane! Butternut is just the variety of the squash. You can find it your local grocery store. 🙂
Send Out Sissues!!!!!!
Be well. I’m coughing very healthily 😉
No no no. No healthy mac and cheese. Mo nothing except pasta and cheese please. I bought…..looks around to see if anybody’s around..whispers..1lb of cheese..ssshhh…….
Any case I’ve never caramelised anything and I don’t want onions in my mac and cheese which I’ve only made once in my life.
Oh my gosh Lindsay! Love this! I am so excited that the sauce is made with squash and it look amazing. Where did you find your cute white bowls?
And so sorry about your cold, hope you get feeling better soon. I’m ready for winter to be done too 🙂
world market! 🙂
Who doesn’t want a healthier version of the all time American classic mac and cheese? Looks amazing!
What a great idea, the sauce looks smooth and creamy, this should lift your spirits, hope your cold gets better quickly. Have Bjork pick up the LOTION infused kleenex. Your nose will thank you.
OH MY GOSH so funny you would say that – he bought these extremely posh aloe-infused Kleenex for me and they are like silk on my face. I love them so much.
Healthy Mac & Cheese, yes please! I’ve made healthy-ish Mac and Cheese cups before so I know it’s possible to make them healthy. This looks delicious and I’m loving this sauce!
Beautiful pictures, as always! I’m obsessed with butternut squash right now, I’ll definitely have to try this recipe!
Thanks Lindsay!
I love this healthy mac and cheese – I have a butternut version posted, but it doesn’t have the carmelized onion. Genius! Must add. When my kids were younger, I used to sneak in carrots and they seemed to like it better than plain old mac and cheese! Gotta love it.
Polar vortex in the Phillipines..lol! Here in the Philly region the snow is bad too. I’ve had enough!
Great idea with the carrots Marie!
Can you believe I’ve never actually made a proper mac and cheese? Or proper cookies, or a proper layer cake … I have to fix these things! Love the look of this version of m & c with its hidden veggies all pureed into it. Very tempted to give it a try! ‘Perastika!’ as they say here in Greece (get well soon!)
How funny – I just made a layer cake this weekend too for Bjork’s birthday! I was hoping to post the recipe but… it’s … demolished. 🙂
Whoa! This about stopped me in my tracks. Can’t wait to try! I love all the “creamy” sauces you are coming up with from vegetables. Cauliflower, butternut squash… mmm, what’s next? 🙂
You must have read my mind! I just bought a butternut squash and was trying to figure out what to do with it! Thanks so much.
This is the 3rd post in a row I’ve read where the blogger is sick! Hope it’s not contagious through the inter-webs 🙂 Regardless, I’m going to be making this soon! Delicious, and such a wonderful and healthy idea!
This looks divine! Unfortunately I had to remove all dairy from my diet this year but I will be surprising my hubby with this treat for sure. Great pictures as well (although they are always great on this site), makes me want to dive right in.
Okay, clearly you knew I was craving mac and cheese but also feeling guilty about said craving and refusing to give in. 😛
Thanks so much for sharing this! I may need to use acorn squash (there are three slooooowly ripening in my pantry), but this will definitely appear on my table this week!
I’ve done acorn – it’s great too! A little different texture but still yummy. 🙂
Hey Lindsay, have I told you you are a genius? Well, you are a genius… Oh, and hilarious too! 😉
Feel better soon!!!
This looks soooo yummy – and totally kid friendly! Love that the caramelized onion is in the sauce. My littlest one will truly pick out every single little tiny speck of onion. Why? I don’t know. I think it’s delicious! 🙂 But now … now my kids will never know! Mwahahahaha!
Healthy mac and cheese?!?! YES PLEASE!
Great write up, I was happily entertained. Hope you feel better! Healthy Mac and Cheese, who would’ve thunk?
Yay for healthy mac and cheese, but not for you being sick 🙁 Hope you get better soon and before you know it, it actually WILL be summer. And I will probably still be eating this mac and cheese 😉
Mac and cheese is the ONLY comfort food I want when I’m sick. This looks perfect. (I love that it will help me still fit into my swimsuit too!)
I’ve always been intrigued by butternut squash mac and cheese and this one looks amazing, definitely pinning!
I have a weird obsession with butternut squash, so I’m thinking I need to try this asap. Looks so good!!
I’ve never really been much of a fan of Mac and Cheese, but this actually appeals to me a million times more. I love butternut squash.
My favourite pasta dish I’ve been making for yonks is actually Macaroni Peas! Where I whizz Peas up in the food processor. It’s . amazing. I’m looking forward to trying yours (minus the butter and cheese. . it’s the whole vegan thing!)
GIRL. I’m in the unpleasant first trimester of pregnancy and food has been tricky. I just made this and OH MAN. Pregnancy gold mine. I don’t want to let myself go, but the only things that seem apetizing to me right now are carbs. I made this recipe with qunioa noodles and hid a heaping serving of sauteed spinach in the bottom of the bowl and it was delicious. Healthy comfort food. Boom.
Aw, that makes me so happy. I was actually thinking of all you sicky preg moms out there.. my sister is pregnant and during her first tri she could only stomach cheese and carbs. 🙂 glad you enjoyed it Katy! And congrats!