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 Sausage Mac and Cheese is one of my family’s favorite new dinner meals.  When I tested this recipe I made it at least 4 times in 2 weeks.

No one complained once about eating this healthy Mac and cheese.  That is a success in my opinion!

I am not going to lie – I was a bit hesitant about making a butternut squash and sausage recipe. But, the creaminess of the sauce with the tender noodles and bold spices makes this recipe irresistible. 

If you like this recipe, you should add my Butternut Squash Soup and Caramelized Butternut Squash recipes to your meal rotation.

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

How To Make Butternut 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. 

Then, 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, it is possible! At this step, use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the sauce. Check out these step-by-step instructions on  How to Thicken a Sauce with Cornstarch if needed.

By making this swap & using 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 asking what they can do. Encourage your kids to stir slowly so the sauce does not splash. 

Next, add half of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Kitchen Tip: Sharp cheddar is used because of its strong flavor. Because of its strong flavor, you can use less cheese saving calories and fat.  

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

If using fresh squash, check out How to Cook Butternut Squash in the Slow Cooker. Let’s be honest, it takes a longer to cook fresh squash but the crockpot takes away the hassle. You simply place the entire squash in the slow cooker & turn it on. 

INGREDIENT SWAP: This recipe would be really good swapping the butternut squash out for canned pumpkin.

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, add cooked pasta and stir into the meat mixture.  Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Then, broil 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

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Jodi Danen, RDN | Create Kids Club
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 people 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta will become a family favorite dinner.  Butternut squash blends seamlessly into this cheesy Mac & Cheese recipe for a delicious spin on the classic dish.

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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

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Instructions

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.

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Notes

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

4053.9 g857 mg21 g29.9 g1.7 g23.5 g

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe was adapted from a recipe I found in Food Network Magazine for Mac And Queso With Sausage.

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