THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY
Zoup! Good, Really Good®, whose small-batch, kettle-cooked soups make my lazy girl dinner dreams come true. 🥰 All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rich and Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese – Made Smarter, Not Harder! 🤓
There’s nothing not to love about butternut squash mac and cheese…except, perhaps, all the prep work that’s required. Breaking down a squash and roasting it to create a cheesy bechamel sauce feels like a big undertaking when you’re craving something cozy, stat.
That’s exactly why I am so giddy to share this Easy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with you!
This lazy girl-approved recipe eliminates almost all of the prep required by scratch-made versions with one smart shortcut: store-bought creamy butternut squash soup!
In soup form, the butternut squash has already been chopped, roasted, and simmered with aromatics and herbs. That means most of the prep work and sauce-making is DONE before you even turn on the stovetop!
All you have to do is warm the soup and melt in some cheese to create a gloriously creamy butternut squash cheese sauce that’s perfect for tossing with pasta.
It’s an easy weeknight comfort food dinner ready in 25 minutes or less. Designed for lazy girls everywhere. 💁🏻♀️
Craving more easy, extra-creamy mac and cheese dinners? ⇢ Be sure to check out my Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Truffle Mac and Cheese! Both are ultra-cheesy stovetop recipes ready in 30 minutes or less!
Key Ingredients
Store-bought soup shortcut. ⇢ Since it’s the backbone of this recipe, using a high-quality soup here is important – for that, I always turn to Zoup! Good, Really Good®. I’m a long-time fan of their kettle-cooked soups, which are prepped in small batches for homemade flavor. The products, which are sold in recyclable and reusable glass jars, are available at retailers nationwide plus online at www.zoupbroth.com.
Their Butternut Squash Soup is laced with brown butter and sage and it’s made with a savory vegetarian broth. It’s richly flavorful with gorgeous, luscious texture – the perfect shortcut for an easy butternut mac and cheese!
🎉 Giveaway! ⇢ Our friends at Zoup! Good, Really Good® are treating one lucky PWWB reader to 6 FREE jars of their delicious, kettle-cooked soups. Head to Instagram for all the details on how you can win!
Best blend of cheese? ⇢ The key to any cozy mac and cheese recipe is using a blend of super meltable cheese and rich, flavor-forward cheese. Using a perfect ratio of these two types of cheese ensures your mac and cheese is creamy and has a hefty punch of flavor.
For this recipe, I use a blend of melty mozzarella, punchy sharp cheddar, and nutty parmesan – feel free to use whatever cheeses you love most…
- Melty cheese swaps. ⇢ Try gouda, havarti, muenster, edam, or comté.
- Flavor-forward cheese swaps. ⇢ Smoked gouda, gruyere, and fontina are all great alternatives to cheddar.
- For a vegetarian butternut squash mac and cheese. ⇢ Be sure to use rennet-free parmesan!
Quick reminder! ⇢ Whatever you choose, always shred your cheese yourself for the ultimate meltability. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in caking agents that inhibit melting.
Craving extra cheese? 🧀 For an obnoxiously cheesy butternut mac, feel free to amp up the cheese from 6 to 8 ounces each!
Shop This Post
Zoup! Good, Really Good® Butternut Squash Soup
Buy Now →
Buy Now → 
Great Jones Stainless Steel Saucepan
Buy Now →
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons
Buy Now →
Buy Now → How to Make EASY Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Using store-bought soup makes this a super-fast dinner recipe. The only prep work is shredding some cheese, and the most time-consuming part is boiling the pasta. From there, the butternut mac and cheese comes together in one pan on the stovetop and it’s ready in 25 minutes, tops!
Boil the pasta. I love to make mac and cheese with twirly pasta like cavatappi, which captures the creamy sauce in its spiraly center. Fusilli, rotini, radiatore, and shells all work well too! Simply cook the pasta to al dente in generously salted boiling water. Learn More! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly.
Heat the butternut squash soup. Warm the butternut squash soup in a pan on the stovetop. I like to amp it up with a little Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and ground nutmeg – my mac and cheese non-negotiables. The Dijon adds some brightness to cut through the rich and creamy cheesiness, while the spices add great flavor.
Make the butternut squash cheese sauce. Melt handfuls of shredded cheese into the butternut squash soup, stirring to create a thick and creamy sauce. Timing Tip! ⇢ Wait to begin melting the cheese when the pasta is nearly al dente so it stays super creamy-dreamy and doesn’t break as it sits.
Toss with pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the butternut squash mac and cheese sauce, tossing it well so all of the spirals capture plenty of creamy, cheesy goodness.
Serving Suggestions
If you ask me, a 25-minute stovetop mac and cheese is the ultimate weeknight comfort food dinner!
I love serving this cheesy pasta with sides that are as equally simple to prep. Try enjoying it with some simple roasted vegetables or my go-to light and bright 15-Minute Lemon Kale Salad.
If you want to add some extra protein to your dinner, feel free! I love serving this butternut squash mac and cheese with roasted chicken sausage, Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken, or Juicy Chicken Meatballs. You can serve the meat on the side or toss it right into the veggie-loaded mac.
I can’t wait for you to try this Easy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe! It’s classic cheesy comfort food that requires almost no effort – exactly what we all deserve after a long, busy day!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Print
Lazy Girl Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (Easy 25-Minute Dinner)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Pasta, Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There’s nothing not to love about butternut squash mac and cheese…except, perhaps, all the prep work required for made-from-scratch versions. That’s exactly why I am so giddy about this Easy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese!
This lazy girl-approved recipe couldn’t be easier to make thanks to one store-bought shortcut: creamy butternut squash soup!
Just heat up your favorite butternut squash soup then melt in a punchy trio of cheeses to create the easiest butternut squash cheese sauce. Toss with al dente pasta and dinner’s ready in 25 minutes, tops! ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi or short pasta of choice
- one 16-ounce jar Zoup! Good, Really Good® Butternut Squash Soup
- heaping 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- heaping 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- heaping ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 ounces freshly shredded mozzarella or melty neutral cheese of choice (approx. 1 ½ cups, see Recipe Notes)
- 6 ounces freshly shredded sharp cheddar or melty punchy cheese of choice (approx. 1 ½ cups, see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with salt. Add the cavatappi (or pasta of choice) and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, to al dente. (Al dente cooking time is typically noted on package directions.) Once the pasta reaches al dente, drain the pasta – but do not rinse – and set aside. (Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
- Heat the butternut squash soup: Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, transfer the butternut squash soup to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is warmed through and bubbling. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and ground nutmeg. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low.
- Prep the butternut squash cheese sauce: Just as the pasta reaches al dente, melt the cheese into the butternut sauce. Working one handful at a time, add the cheese to the warm butternut squash mixture. Stir to combine well. Once melted completely, repeat with another handful of cheese. Continue until all of the cheese is added and melted; the butternut squash cheese sauce will be deliciously thick and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired and remove from the heat – at this point the pasta should be ready.
- Finish and serve butternut squash mac and cheese: Add the al dente pasta to the butternut squash cheese sauce, tossing to combine well. Portion the butternut squash mac and cheese into individual bowls, topping with grated additional grated parmesan cheese or crispy fried sage leaves as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Great Jones Stainless Steel Saucepan
Buy Now →Zoup! Good, Really Good® Butternut Squash Soup
Buy Now →Notes
Serving suggestions: On its own, this easy butternut squash mac and cheese is a fantastic cozy main dish to enjoy all fall and winter long. You can also easily add a protein to make it a little heartier. Serve with roasted chicken sausage, Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken or Juicy Chicken Meatballs – delicious! For a next-level spread, serve alongside roasted vegetables or your favorite hearty salad – we’re obsessed with this 15-Minute Lemon Kale Salad.
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Best pasta to use: While mac and cheese is traditionally prepared with elbows, I’m particularly fond of the way the creamy sauce gets trapped in a twirly spiral pasta like cavatappi to make every bite a little more creamy, flavorful, & crave-worthy. Similarly, this butternut squash mac and cheese works beautifully with fusilli, rotini, radiatore, or even shells.
- Cheese tips:
- Best cheese to use: For maximum flavor and meltability, it’s always best to use a blend of cheeses when preparing a cheese sauce for mac and cheese. For this butternut squash mac and cheese I like to use equal parts of a really melty, neutral cheese and a punchier flavor-forward cheese – suggestions below!
- melty neutral cheeses: low-moisture mozzarella, gouda, edam, havarti, muenster, comté, etc.
- punchy, flavor-forward cheeses: sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, fontina, etc.
- Freshly shredded: It’s also important to grate the cheeses yourself instead of buying bagged, pre-shredded cheese. Store-bought shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-caking agents to prevent them from clumping in the bag – unfortunately, it also prevents them from melting down into a silky-smooth cheese sauce.
- For an obnoxiously cheesy butternut squash mac and cheese, increase the shredded cheeses to 8 ounces each or 1 pound total.
- Best cheese to use: For maximum flavor and meltability, it’s always best to use a blend of cheeses when preparing a cheese sauce for mac and cheese. For this butternut squash mac and cheese I like to use equal parts of a really melty, neutral cheese and a punchier flavor-forward cheese – suggestions below!
- Recipe variations: This easy butternut squash mac and cheese recipe is naturally meatless. To ensure it’s vegetarian, be sure to use your favorite rennet-free parmesan cheese.
Storage and Reheating: Leftover butternut squash mac and cheese will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding an extra splash of water or cooking stock to loosen up the butternut squash cheese sauce as needed, until warmed through.
Recipe and Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
This was so yummy and easy! Will definitely be making this again, especially since my 5 year old also approved. I added a half can of drained & rinse chickpeas for a bit of extra protein. I don’t think we have that brand of soup where I live but I used another packaged butternut squash soup of the same size and it worked great!
Hi Lauren, so glad you tried this one out and enjoyed it! Adding chickpeas is a great idea, too! 🙂