Creamy, Light Mac & Cheese

I've tried to make homemade mac & cheese for a long time. It's always grainy and kind of pasty, not to mention horribly unhealthy.  I finally found a wonderful recipe that was equally delicious and so much less fattening than traditional mac & cheese. Ok, don't freak out when you read this, but the eggs and heavy cream are replaced with pureed butternut squash.  Wait! I know, weird, but it actually adds quite a bit of dimension and is extremely creamy.  Try it! I promise, you'll like it!

Use a serrated bread knife to cut the squash up into chunks. It's much easier.

3 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp fat-free greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is al dente, strain and set aside.

4. Place hot squash mixture in a blender. Add yogurt, salt & pepper. Puree until smooth. Seriously, watch out for hot splashes, they burn.

5. In a large bowl, add squash puree to cheeses and mix throroughly. Add pasta and stir to combine.

6. Spray casserole pan with cooking spray and transfer pasta mixture to pan.

7. Combine bread crumbs, olive oil and parsley in a small bowl, and sprinkle over mac & cheese.

8. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown on top.

*Cooking Light magazine is my new favorite reading material. This recipe is from the September issue.*