Stovetop Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese

To me, macaroni and cheese is one of the most comforting foods ever.  I can (and do) eat it year round.  I try and switch it up a bit by adding different spices to the sauce or using different cheeses.  Since it's fall and there is an abundance of butternut squash, I decided to add some to my mac 'n cheese.  Also, I made this on a weeknight and I had dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.

Since I don't have the actual recipe that I used (I pretty much wing it when I make macaroni and cheese), I provided a recipe I found on Pinterest (shocker!).  This recipe inspired me to go home and make this dish immediately!  Here are some things I did differently from the recipe:

I omitted the cream cheese
I used half milk and half chicken broth
I used Parmesan and cheddar cheese
I added sage
I used butternut squash puree in place of pumpkin
I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked frozen pasta (which is how I had this meal done in around 20 minutes!)
I also served mine with a few dried cranberries sprinkled on top for a nice touch of sweetness

This recipe is so simple and delicious!  If you like your macaroni and cheese a little less soupy, place the mixture in a greased baking dish and sprinkle with a handful of cheese.  Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes, or until the top has browned and the edges are bubbling.

This dish pairs nicely with a spinach salad.  We all know that spinach makes anything healthy, so you don't have to worry about carbs and fat since the spinach cancels that out!  :)

The recipe can be found here.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Hi there! I can't believe it is mid-October and I haven't posted any pumpkin recipes! I found the recipe for these cupcakes on Pinterest and have wanted to make them for weeks! I decided I'd make them this weekend because the weather was particularly cool and it just felt right to smell something pumpkin-y baking in the oven! The house smelled wonderful!

I ended up doubling the recipe so there would be enough for my coworkers (and for me to keep a few with enough to go around the office!). I made a couple changes such as replacing half of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour. I also used half butternut squash and half pumpkin. I didn't do this on purpose! I thought I had left over pumpkin in the fridge, but it ended up being squash. Whoops! They still tasted fantastic! The combination of the spicy pumpkin cake and the sweetness of the maple in the frosting was spot on. I also drizzled half with a gingerbread spread from Williams Sonoma (So. Good.) - It really added a nice, warm flavor.

I recommend you make these soon! If your office is anything like mine, they'll be gone within minutes! The recipe can be found here.