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Katie’s Mac and Cheater Cheese Casserole (from my friend Katie Straka)

Cut 2 large or 3 small butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Place in the oven skin side up in a pan with about a 1/2 inch or so of water. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until tender. Scoop out the meat.

Sauce Ingredients:

4 c. butternut squash, cooked and mashed

1 c. milk

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I use SHARP 2% cheese)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

pepper to taste

Garlic powder or jar garlic to taste

Other Ingredients:

12-16 oz. pasta (I used whole wheat penne and it was great. Katie says bowties, white or wheat, also work well) cook according to package directions and drain.

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

Bread Crumbs (I used whole wheat here again)

Combine milk and mashed squash in a saucepan and simmer.

Remove from heat and add cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and dry mustard. Mix well.

Combine the sauce with the pasta and spread into 9″ x 13″ pan (spray with Pam first).

Top with breadcrumbs and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

You need sharp cheese to spread cheese flavor to the squash, which can be a little bland. You can also cut all the ingredients in half to make just a 8×8 pan.

My children ate this. They had NO idea there was a vegetable lurking in it. The squash is cheese colored, see? And the cheese infuses it and the simmering makes it smooth and nice. WIN. It can be a little bland, which your kids might like, but I used a a slightly rounded spoon for the mustard and QUITE a bit of garlic.

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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

New York Times, 1/4/06

Molskin actually ends the article with two recipes, but I went with this first one because it had more milk, only (heh) a pound of cheese, and had the added intrigue of not requiring either the par-boiling of pasta or pre-simmering of the cheese sauce. Huzzah for fewer dishes! As it turned out, the second recipe will not be necessary as this one is just perfect for anyone looking for classic, baked, no-fuss mac and cheese. Serve it with a g’normous green salad, in a feeble attempt at caloric balance, and wine, to remind yourself that you’re a grown-up.

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)

2 cups milk (not skim)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Pinch cayenne

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (Deb note: I skipped this)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (Deb note: I’m a big fan of Cabot extra-sharp, in the purple wrapper)

1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.* Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

* Next time, I will puree everything without the milk, and then add it in. I think that will put a finer grind on the cottage cheese, so no lumps remain.

caramelized shallots