Description
Butternut squash gives these mac and cheese sliders a healthy boost!
Ingredients
- 2-½ cups Butternut Squash, Cubed
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 16 ounces, weight Elbow Macaroni
- ½ cups Cream
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- 10 whole Brioche Slider Buns
- 1-½ cup Gorgonzola Crumbles
- Arugula, Garnish
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine squash, olive oil and a dash or two of salt and pepper. Place squash on baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, fill a stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain macaroni, reserving some of the pasta water in a cup. Put the macaroni back in the pot and set aside.
In a food processor, add the roasted squash and cream. Puree until smooth. You may need to add more or less cream. Just make sure the squash isn’t super thick. Next, pour the pureed squash into the stock pot with the macaroni. Toss to combine.
Preheat a skillet to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and begin to whisk and heat it to cook out that raw flour taste; about 1 minute. Next, add the milk and continue to whisk until thickened; about 4-5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add mozzarella, nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni in the stock pot. Toss to combine.
Preheat the broiler in your oven.
Place slider bottoms on a baking sheet. Next, take an ice cream scoop and scoop some of the butternut mac and cheese on top of the slider bottom. Top each with a little Gorgonzola and place baking sheet under broiler until Gorgonzola has melted. Remove from oven. Garnish with arugula and place top slider bun on top. Serve immediately.
