Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the uncooked butternut squash cubes into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Once you can easily pierce a fork through the cubes, it is ready. Do not overcook — we don’t want this to brown!
Add the cooked butternut squash into the blender and puree. You may have to do this in a few batches depending on the size of your blender. If the squash isn’t blending well, add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it up.
Measure out 1 ½ cups of pureed butternut squash for use in this recipe. The rest can be refrigerated and used for a different recipe or enjoyed as a side dish with another meal.
Reduce oven heat to 375°F. Spray another 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the macaroni
In a large pot that fits at least 2 quarts, cook gluten-free macaroni until al dente. Do not overcook this — we don’t want it to be mushy!
Once the macaroni is cooked to al dente, place it in a strainer and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking further. Set aside.
Make the cheese sauce
In an extra-large pot (at least 5 quarts), melt the butter over low heat.
Whisk the flour into the butter until it forms a paste. This step needs to be done quickly so that the flour doesn’t start to burn. As soon as a light paste forms (only takes a few seconds), immediately move pour the milk and Italian seasoning into the butter mixture.
On low-medium heat, bring to a light simmer and continue to simmer and whisk constantly for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
Remove the pot from the heat and add in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Whisk together until the cheese is fully melted.
Whisk in the 1 ½ cups of pureed butternut squash until fully mixed.
Prep and bake the casserole
Pour in the strained macaroni and stir well with a spatula until the macaroni is fully mixed. Use a spatula to place all of the macaroni mixture into the prepared baking dish. Be sure to get all of the sauce out of the pot and into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over top of the macaroni mixture.
Sprinkle the gluten-free breadcrumbs evenly over top of the shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is fully melted. Serve hot.
Notes
Shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clumping preservatives that prevent it from melting smoothly.
Have all of the ingredients and tools you’ll need ready and within reach before you start making this recipe. Once you start making the cheese sauce, you’ll need to whisk constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Don’t be tempted to add more gluten-free breadcrumbs. If you use too much, they’ll start to soak up the cheesy goodness that makes mac and cheese so delicious.
Instead of Italian seasoning, you can use ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, plus ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder. Add this in at the same time you add the milk into the recipe.
Mix up the flavors by adding ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the cheddar cheese topping.
To store: Place in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat: Place in the microwave for 1 minute.
Mama says, “Make sure to always check your labels!