Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

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This cheesy and creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta recipe is a healthy kid-friendly Mac and cheese. A one-pot kid-friendly dinner idea that is packed with flavor.

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This Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta is one of my family's favorite pasta meals. My family fell in love the first time I made it, which is a total success!

I am not going to lie - I was a bit hesitant about making a butternut squash sausage pasta recipe...

The creaminess of the sauce with the tender noodles and bold spices makes this recipe irresistible. 

Check out the video for step by step instructions to find out exactly how to make this delicious sausage and butternut squash meal.

How To Make Squash and Sausage Pasta 

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Brown pork sausage in a large oven-safe sauté pan, drain and return meat to pan.
3. Stir flour, cumin, chili powder, and salt into cooked pork sausage.
4. Over medium-high heat, slowly add milk, stirring well.
5. Add 4 ounces of cheese, stirring until melted.
6. Turn heat off.  Whisk in eggs.
7. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
8. Add drained tomatoes, sour cream, and squash.
9. Add cooked pasta, mix well. Top with the rest of the cheese.
10. 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. 

INGREDIENT SWAP: You can swap the pork sausage with turkey sausage, Italian sausage, or chicken sausage. Spicy pork sausage is also a great swap.

Next, drain the meat, add back to the oven-safe pan and sprinkle on the spices and flour.

CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE GLUTEN FREE?

Yes! Instead of sprinkling on the flour, use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Check out these step-by-step instructions on  How to Thicken a Sauce with Cornstarch if needed.

By using cornstarch & gluten-free noodles, you will have a gluten-free version of healthy kids Mac & cheese.

After the spices are added, slowly stir in milk. Then, continue to stir as the sauce thickens.

This is a great step to let your kids help if they are running around the kitchen waiting for dinner. Encourage your kids to stir slowly so the sauce does not splash. 

Next, add half of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar is used because of its strong flavor. However, feel free to use you 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.

DO YOU USE CANNED OR FRESH BUTTERNUT SQUASH?

I use both since canned or fresh work great depending on the schedule. Keeping a can of squash in your pantry to turn to on busy nights is helpful.

If using fresh squash, you can cook squash on stove, in a crockpot or in an instant pot. Choose the cooking method that works best for you!

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 

I encourage you to try the butternut squash in this recipe at least once for your family to try. If needed, the butternut squash can be eliminated at this step for a traditional Mac & cheese recipe.

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.

If desired, add other toppings to the top of this delicious healthy kids Mac & cheese:

• Caramelized onions 
• Bacon bits 
• Broccoli florets 
• Hot sauce
• Bread crumbs
• Roasted garlic 

Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta, butternut squash Mac and cheese

Servings: 8

Calories: 485kcal

Author: Jodi Danen, RDN / Create Kids Club

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry elbow pasta 8 oz, cooked per box instructions
• 1 lb. seasoned pork sausage or ground beef
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 8 oz. shredded sharp cheese divided
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes drained
• 1 cup butternut squash cooked
• 1/3 cup light sour cream

Instructions

• 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.

Notes

Optional Garnish: Cilantro, chives, sour cream, or fresh tomatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 488mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2575IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @createkidsclub on Instagram and hashtag it #createkidsclub

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe was adapted from  Mac And Queso With Sausage.

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