Sausage Mac and Cheese is a healthy kid-friendly dinner idea packed with veggies. Made with butternut squash, tomatoes, and loads of cheese, this is a family favorite! Gluten-free.
The creaminess of the sauce with the tender noodles and bold spices makes this recipe irresistible. It’s simple to make and makes enough for leftovers.
How To Make
- Preheat broiler.
- Brown pork sausage in a large oven-safe sauté pan, drain and return meat to pan.
- Stir flour, cumin, chili powder, and salt into cooked pork sausage.
- Over medium-high heat, slowly add milk, stirring well.
- Add 4 ounces of cheese, stirring until melted.
- Turn heat off. Whisk in eggs.
- Turn heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, stirring constantly about 2 minutes.
- Add drained tomatoes, sour cream, and squash.
- Add cooked pasta, mix well. Top with the rest of the cheese.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Start by browning the meat in a cast-iron pan. Cast iron is ideal for this recipe because it is also oven safe, which will come in handy later in the recipe.
Substitutions
- turkey sausage
- Italian sausage
- chicken sausage
- spicy pork sausage
Next, drain the meat, add it back to the oven-safe pan and sprinkle on the spices and flour.
After the spices are added, slowly stir in milk. Then, continue to stir as the sauce thickens.
Add half of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar is used because of its strong flavor. However, feel free to use your favorite cheese variety in this recipe. After half the cheese has been added, turn the heat off.
Whisk eggs in a small bowl and then add the eggs to the meat mixture, stirring constantly until well blended.
Next, stir in the sour cream, tomatoes, and butternut squash until well blended.
Next, stir the cooked pasta into the butternut squash skillet. Then, top with the remaining shredded cheese. Lastly, place the cast iron skillet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Toppings
- Caramelized onions
- Bacon bits
- Broccoli florets
- Hot sauce
- Bread crumbs
- Roasted garlic
Best Ways to cook BUTTERNUT SQUASH
If you’re in a hurry microwaving butternut squash is the way to go.
- How To Microwave Butternut Squash
- How to Cook Butternut Squash in the Slow Cooker
- How to Cook Butternut Squash on the Stove
- How to Cook Butternut Squash in an Instant Pot
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Sausage Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound seasoned pork sausage ✅
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin ✅
- 1 teaspoon chili powder ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheese, divided ✅
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup cooked butternut squash
- 1/3 cup light sour cream ✅
- 6 ounces gluten-free pasta, cooked per box instructions
Instructions
- ⭐️Preheat the broiler then brown the sausage. Preheat the broiler. Brown the pork sausage in a large oven-safe pan, drain and return meat to the pan.1 pound seasoned pork sausage
- ⭐️Add the spices then the milk. Stir in the flour, cumin, chili powder, and salt into the cooked pork sausage. Slowly add the milk, stirring well. Add 4 ounces of cheese, stirring until melted.1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, 2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup 1% milk, 8 ounces shredded sharp cheese, divided
- ⭐️Whisk in the eggs. Turn heat off. Whisk in eggs. Turn the heat back on to medium-low and cook until thickened, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add drained tomatoes, sour cream, and squash.2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/3 cup light sour cream, 1 cup cooked butternut squash
- ⭐️Add the pasta. Add cooked pasta, mix well. Top with the rest of the cheese.6 ounces gluten-free pasta, cooked per box instructions, 8 ounces shredded sharp cheese, divided
- ⭐️Broil. Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe was adapted from Mac And Queso With Sausage.
juliailcadmin says
Thanks for the tips! My baby is still under a year old but I’m already thinking ahead and hoping to instill a love of vegetables in her!
Create Kids Club says
Good job on thinking ahead and getting started at a young age with your daughter, Julie!
Amanda | My Gluten-Free Miami says
Let’s face it…mac and cheese is not usually the healthiest dish. You have really boosted the nutritional value as well as the flavor in this recipe. Kudos!! As far a veggies vs fruit…I tend to eat more veggies, but my daughter loves fruit. Fortunately she likes veggie, too.
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Amanda! That is great that your daughter is a good veggie eater! My kids like the basics, corn on the cob, carrots, and roasted veggies, but there is a lot between there I am still working on 🙂
Pam Wattenbarger says
I really like butternut squash. Adding veggies to popular foods like macaroni and cheese is actually a great idea.
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Pam! The Mac and cheese works great with this squash – it is really good!
Valerie Gray (@valmg) says
This dish sounds like it has a very interesting flavor. We have put veggies in mac and cheese but it’s the usual ones like broccoli, carrots, etc.
Create Kids Club says
The main flavor of this dish comes from the seasoned pork. Then the creaminess of the cheese. It all blends deliciously together 🙂
Create Kids Club says
The main flavor of this dish comes from the seasoned pork. Then the creaminess of the cheese:). It all blends deliciously together:)
Adriana Martin says
Mac N Cheese is always a great idea and even better if added veggies are included. I am a personal fan of butternut squash and prepare a similar dish during the fall =)
Create Kids Club says
I agree, Adriana!
Priya Srinivasan says
Wow, adding veggies(read masked) to kids favorite dish, makes meal time very easy! I love how you have added squash to favorite mac and cheese!!! I sometimes i do that with spinach and beets. Though the color will be prominent but then i add adjectives like hulk , spiderman to the dish name!;)
Create Kids Club says
I like your play on the names, Priya! And yes, it does make meal times easier 🙂
VeenaAzmanov says
I love butternut squash very much. My kids usually prefer them roasted and in soups. I must try this soon. I think they will like this.
Create Kids Club says
I have yet to get my kiddos eating roasted butternut squash or the soup, but I continue to try! Those are some of my favorites 🙂
Christine - Jar Of Lemons says
LOVE butternut squash mac and cheese! Well, mac and cheese in any form, basically 😉 This looks delicious! Saving the recipe for later!
Create Kids Club says
Right?! I hope you give it a try Christine! 🙂
Molly Kumar says
One Pot recipes are definitely such a big time saver and I love butternut squash. I do make something very similar but need to try the one with elbow pasta.
Create Kids Club says
I agree, Molly. The less pots and pans the better!
homemadezagat says
I definitely need to eat more veggies. This mac and cheese looks really really good. I would try this for sure.
Create Kids Club says
This is a really easy way to get in more of those veggies in a delicious way!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
What a great idea!! Kids do have a tendency to turn up their noses when it comes to veggies. Just add them to some dish they can’t resist and by golly they gobble it down. Great inspiration.
Create Kids Club says
That is my trick and I’m sticking to it 😉 Thanks Marisa!
ManilaSpoon says
Looks like proper comfort food indeed! My whole family loves mac n cheese but haven’t tried making it with butternut squash and now we know we should!
Create Kids Club says
I hope you give it a try!
Heather says
I love this recipe!! Perfect comfort food, lightened up.. the pork has to add such a great flavor to this and using the butternut squash is brilliant!!
Create Kids Club says
Thank you, Heather! And the pork does add a wonderful flavor to the dish.
Amy says
We are reversed here too – we eat lots of fruit but have a harder time with vegetables. But we def love mac and cheese! Will have to give this a try!
Create Kids Club says
Let me know how you like it if you do try it out Amy! I hope your family enjoys 🙂
Kelli Shallal says
Kelli@hungryhobby
Love, love, love the hack with the crock pot, that’s a new one for me! This is a great way to get those veggies in and the children are none the wiser 🙂
Mary says
This was such a hit! Thanks for the great recipe!