Creamy Butternut Mac And Cheese Soup
Creamy Butternut Mac And Cheese Soup is creamy, cheesy, loaded with good carbs, and the perfect ending to a crisp autumn day.
Servings: 8 servings
Cost: $0.74 per serving
Equipment
- large non-stick sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni semolina or whole wheat
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cups chicken broth preferably low sodium
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen pureed butternut squash thawed on counter for about 20 minutes
- 2 cups half and half or whole milk
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese reduced fat and softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry may substitute white wine vinegar
- pinch black pepper
optional
- crispy sage leaves or fresh sage leaves
- chives freshly snipped
Instructions
The Method
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour and mustard and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil.
- Add squash and return to a boil. Stir in half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add, whisking constantly until it is melted. Remove from heat.
- Combine Cheddar and cornstarch in a medium bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Slowly add the cheese to the soup, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in the macaroni, dry sherry and pepper. Garnish with crispy sage leaves, fresh sage leaves, or freshly snipped chives.
Notes
Make Ahead:
Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place in a container with a tight fitting lid until ready to assemble the soup.
Make the soup base. Follow the recipe as instructed but stop before adding the noodles. Place in the fridge in a large container with a tight fitting lid until ready to assemble the soup.
Reheat via stovetop in a large non-stick pot over medium-low heat.
Freeze:
Assemble soup and ladle into one large container or several small containers with tight fitting lids. Allow to cool completely before affixing the lid(s) and popping into freezer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 576IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 1mg