Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

A few weeks ago, I had The Chew on TV during the kiddos nap time.  I'm sure it was a summer-time rerun, but with fall upon us, one particular dish from the episode caught my eye.  Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese....What?!?....It sounded comfortfully-delicious (yes,
I do realize that is not a word), and the next day I found myself buying the ingredients to make this dish.

The only thing I did different from the original recipe is substitute Gruyere cheese for shredded cheddar, and the only reason why was because of the cost.  While Gruyere may be a fancy Swiss-like cheese that melts really well, cheddar cheese fit into my budget a little bit better!

Overall, this was a hit for me.  A little more time consuming than than my go-to Greek yogurt mac and cheese I shared early, but definitely something that I will occasionally make again.  The flavor was more of the squash than the cheese, and the creamy texture was amazing!  You can find the original recipe here.

INGREDIENTS:
3 c. cubed butternut squash
1 1/4  c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. milk
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 c. shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
1 c. parmigiana cheese
1 pound cavatappi pasta
1 tbs. butter
1/3 c. Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley.

DIRECTIONS:
Cook and drain pasta according to package instructions.  In a saucepan on medium high heat, add squash, stock, milk and garlic.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender.  Remove from heat and pour in a blender.  Add yogurt, seasoned with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth.  Then add cheese and blend again until smooth and cheese is melted. Stir mixture into the cook pasta.  In a small bowl, melt butter and stir in breadcrumbs.  Top pasta with breadcrumbs.  Garnish with parsley.