HEALTHY MAC N' CHEESE

Marie's Mac n' Cheese

Mac n' cheese is one of these meals that just holds a special place in my heart no matter how old I get. It's a real symbol of my fun childhood and the super strong bond I have with my dearest little brother. We are truly obsessed with Mac n' Cheese! I remember us aged 4 (him) and 11 (me) already cooking up this creamy dish that dreams are made of. I have to admit that we used to love the horrible Kraft stuff when we lived in the US (gasp shock horror I know...). The ultimate fun was eating a bowl of mac n' cheese whilst watching FRIENDS! Best thing ever!

Over the years, we slowly but eventually realised that making our own homemade version with all natural, high quality ingredients and none of the nasties was even more fun and obviously more delicious! Every Christmas when we're back home together, we dedicate at least one evening to concocting the perfect mac n' cheese. So excited to make this recipe with him this year!

I recently discovered that integrating pumpkin (or squash) in the cheese sauce, not only means you get lots of extra nutrition from this humble autumn vegetable, it also makes the cheese sauce extra creamy and gives it that wonderful flavour and bright orange colour, though this time 100% natural, unprocessed and good for you! Pumpkin is incredibly rich in vital antioxidants and vitamins; its bright orange flesh provides one of the highest sources of beta-carotene, known to support eye health and prevent degenerative damage. Yay for pumpkin which transforms this traditionally heavy and nutrient-devoid meal into a hearty bowl of clean and creamy goodness. Hope you enjoy this yummy and healthy mac n' cheese as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 250g gluten-free macaroni (I only had fusilli which worked just fine)
• 2 tb organic butter
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 1 small pumpkin or 1 butternut squash
• 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 200g grated hard cheese (organic Cheddar and/or Gruyère but any hard cheese will work)
• Topping:
• handful of chestnut mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic
• parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the gluten-free pasta according to package directions. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, remove the skin and the seeds from the pumpkin/squash. Cut the flesh into small cubes.
3. Reserve seeds and place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil or melted butter, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat seeds evenly. Place in oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy. Set aside to cool. 
4. Heat the butter in a large pan over medium low heat. Place onion and pumpkin into the pan, and sauté over low heat until onions are brown and soft and pumpkin has softened slightly. 
5. Bring the broth to a boil (ideally homemade otherwise organic stock cubes will do the trick in an emergency) and add the onion and pumpkin to the broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
6. Whilst the pumpking is cooking, pan fry the garlic in some butter in another pan for a few minutes, add the sliced mushrooms and some chopped parsley. Reserve for topping at the end.
7. Once pumpkin is fork tender, transfer the pumpkin and most of the broth to the blender with the grated cheese and puree until completely smooth and creamy. Add more broth depending on desired sauce consistency. 
8. Once you're happy with your sauce, pour sauce over the cooked pasta in a pan and stir to coat evenly. 
9. Divide mac n' cheese into bowls, top with garlic mushrooms and sprinkle with the crispy pumpkin seeds.