Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 85 g cheddar cheese
• 1 cup medium cheddar shredded cheese
• 500 g rotini
• 375 ml chicken broth
• 175 ml 2% milk
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (ground)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp leaves thyme (dried)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 medium mushrooms
• 1 small onions
• 1 1/4 lbs butternut winter squash
• 1 lb ground beef (80% lean / 20% fat)

Directions

1. Brown grown beef until cooked and set aside.
2. Sautée onions, garlic, mushrooms and butternut squash in olive oil until fragrant. Meanwhile start cooking pasta according to package.
3. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until soften, about 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Use immersion blender, blender or food processor to blend all the sauce ingredients to a fairly smooth texture. Add milk and process again until smooth, add 1/4 cup of cheese and mix once more.
5. Mix in the sauce, ground beef and drained pasta all together, transfer to a casserole dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese.
6. Bake in preheated 350° oven until cheese is melted and crisp to your liking.