Say, "Mac & Cheeeeeeeese"!

One of my favorite comfort foods that I love to make is homemade mac & cheese -- however, with my original recipe having over 4 cups of different cheeses, butter, heavy cream & whole milk, being primary ingredients, I wanted to find a way to make over this yummy dish in a much healthier way!

I came across many different "healthy" mac & cheese recipes and, after some tweaking & trial and error, developed my own recipe! The secret ingredients, butternut squash & part skim ricotta cheese. Butternut squash and part skim ricotta give the dish a creamy texture without the added fat! With a few other "swaps" this dish is much healthier & just as yummy as the original!

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 small onion - diced
• 1 tbsp. fresh garlic
  
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 tsp. of fresh parsley
  
• 1 Tbsp coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound macaroni (if you're feeling especially healthy, use whole wheat or fiber pasta!)
  
• 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese - grated
  
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese - grated
• 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs (you can also use crushed, reduced fat crackers too!)
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Olive-oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute onion, garlic & 1 tsp of olive oil, in a saucepan, over medium heat, for 2-4 minutes. Add squash, stock, and milk to the saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, crushed red pepper, parsley, salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook according to package instructions. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
3. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs/crackers, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
4. Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!!!!