Dinner for 6

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with cheddar and shredded cheese

Name: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with cheddar and shredded cheese
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb mezzi rigatoni; 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 3/4 cup panko crumbs; 3/4 cup whole or 2% milk; 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese; 4 tbsp butter; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; salt and pepper (optional)

$4.23for 435 minServes 6

Tender squash blends with milk and cheese, coating rigatoni before a crisp breadcrumb and Parmesan topping browns.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with cheddar and shredded cheese

Photo: kitchenswagger.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 16 oz$0.10/oz typical	16 oz	$1.60Typical price
	Cheddar and shredded cheese, 8 oz$0.30/oz typical	8 oz	$2.40Typical price
	Bread crumbs, 3 oz$0.14/oz typical	3 oz	$0.42Typical price
	Milk, 6.5 oz$0.04/oz typical	6.5 oz	$0.26Typical price
	Parmesan, 1.25 oz$0.55/oz typical	1.25 oz	$0.64Typical price
	Butter, 2 oz$0.40/oz typical	2 oz	$0.80Typical price
	Mint, a little$1.99 each typical	a little	$0.16Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$6.35

Swaps

Swap cheddar and shredded cheese for mozzarellaabout the same price
Swap milk for almondabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Swap butter for margarine and vegan butterabout $0.15/oz less at typical prices
Swap pasta for egg noodlesabout $0.04/oz more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Dried spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano)Salt and pepper

Not included in the cost.

35 minstart to table
Easydifficulty
6servings as written
$typical cost tier

American Vegetarian Kid-friendly Budget Family Dinners Cold-weather comfort Fall

Typical price

$1.06 per serving$4.23 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

The amounts listed are small for a full dinner, so this price per serving is likely low. Plan on a side or a bigger portion.

Ingredients

1 lb mezzi rigatoni
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup panko crumbs
3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper (optional)

Steps

Heat the oven to 400 F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter or oil.
Peel and cube the squash, then boil it with the thyme in salted water for 10 minutes; drain and remove the thyme.
Boil the rigatoni in fresh salted water until barely tender, about 2 minutes less than package directions, then drain.
Blend the squash, milk, 2 tablespoons butter, garlic powder, and half the cheddar until smooth.
Stir the sauce into the pasta, transfer it to the dish, and top with the remaining cheddar, panko, Parmesan, and remaining butter.
Bake for 10 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.