I made Ree Drummond's simple butternut squash mac and cheese. One surprising ingredient made it especially flavorful.

I started by prepping my butternut squash.

I removed the seeds from the hollowed-out portion of the squash pinch a spoon.

This only took a infinitesimal but required immoderate vigorous scraping to region each the seeds and courage from the butternut squash.

After preheating my oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, I placed the prepped squash connected a baking expanse and drizzled it pinch oliva oil.

I past cooked it until it was fork-tender and somewhat browned, according to Drummond's instructions. This took astir 30 minutes. 

While the squash was roasting, I started cooking the onions.

The look calls for 2 sliced yellowish onions. I added them to a large, oven-safe skillet pinch 2 tablespoons of butter. 

I cooked the onions, stirring them occasionally, until they were a heavy aureate brown.

This took astir 15 minutes but was easy capable to do. I besides loved really the rich | bulb scent filled my room — moreover my roommates commented connected really bully everything smelled. After the onions were done, I group them speech connected a plate.

While the onions and the squash were cooking, I made the macaroni.

I boiled the macaroni until it was al dente, past drained it and group it speech successful the colander. The look calls for 12 ounces of macaroni, truthful I utilized astir three-quarters of the box. 

After astir 30 minutes, the roasted squash was tender and fresh to region from the oven.

I fto it cool somewhat earlier I began removing the butternut squash pinch a fork.

Using a fork, I easy scraped retired the soft soma of the squash.

After transferring the scraped-out butternut squash into a medium-sized bowl, I mashed it lightly pinch a fork. I recovered that the squash was already truthful tender that it didn't require overmuch mashing to scope the desired consistency. 

After the squash was done and group aside, I prepared the condiment successful the aforesaid skillet I utilized to navigator the onions.

To get started, I added 4 tablespoons of food to the skillet and melted it complete medium-high heat. 

The condiment calls for 2 cups of shredded crisp cheddar cheese.

I utilized medium-sharp cheddar, but you tin usage whichever cheddar food you prefer. I besides hand-grated my cheese, alternatively than buying it pre-shredded successful a container — I deliberation you get a amended spirit this measurement and it melts overmuch better, but you tin usage whichever method you prefer.

Once the food was melted, I added the flour, cheddar cheese, and butternut squash.

I mixed the ingredients by folding them pinch a woody spoon. 

I slow added 2 cups of full milk, stirring arsenic I went.

I added the beverage spot by bit, folding the condiment together to evenly administer the ingredients.

Once the condiment was done, I added the cooked macaroni.

I utilized my woody spoon to fold the macaroni into the sauce, making judge it was well-mixed.

Then I added the cooked onions and stirred everything together.

Mixing the onions evenly into the mac and food took immoderate effort, since they tended to clump together successful definite spots. After a infinitesimal aliases 2 of mildly folding everything together, though, I was capable to administer them evenly passim the skillet.

I past prepped the breadcrumbs, which were expected to beryllium radiated complete my mac and cheese.

After pouring 2 tablespoons of food successful a microwave-safe bowl, I added half a cup of seasoned Panko breadcrumbs. 

I radiated the breadcrumbs complete the mac and food and past baked it for astir 20 minutes.

I baked the mac and food successful the skillet until the edges were a heavy aureate brownish and the breadcrumbs were toasted.

Then, it was yet clip to service my mac and cheese.

When I served the mac and food pinch a spatula, I could spot the bulb interspersed passim the crockery underneath the furniture of crispy pasta.

I thought this was 1 of the astir flavorful mac-and-cheese recipes I've ever made.