Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash and Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, cut up into bite-sized pieces
• 1 smaller sized butternut squash or half of a larger size (it really is pretty forgiving in this recipe how much you add--just depends on how much you want it to taste like squash); peeled and cut up (the smaller the pieces the faster it will cook).
• 1 13.25 oz box elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat)
• 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 3/4 C. milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Hot sauce of your choice (I use green Tobasco), you could also add a little cayenne pepper
• Dry mustard (optional)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• About 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

You can either roast the cauliflower (which I think tastes better) or steam it.  If you roast it, lay on greased cookie sheet (or use a silicon baking mat--then no need to grease).  You could sprinkle a little salt and pepper over it but it's not necessary.  Cook at 400 degrees in the oven for about 40-45 minutes.  Otherwise you can steam the cauliflower for about 8 minutes on the stove top.

In a large pot, boil enough water to cook the macaroni.  While the water is heating up, combine the evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, a few dashes of hot sauce to your taste, 1/4 tsp of dry mustard in a separate saucepan.  Start steaming the butternut squash if you haven't already.  Once the butternut squash is cooked (fork tender), puree the butternut squash in a blender or food processor.  You could also use a fork to mash it if you don't have a blender.

Once the water is boiling, add the macaroni to the water.  Start heating the sauce in the separate saucepan on a medium heat.  It's really important not to cook the sauce at too high of a temperature otherwise the sauce will curdle (you don't want it to boil).  Stir sauce occasionally.  Cook the macaroni until desired consistency.  Drain macaroni and put back into the empty pot and set aside.

It seems to time pretty well that once the macaroni is cooked, the sauce will start to steam.  Once it does this and it looks like it is almost going to simmer, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk and add to the sauce.  Continue to stir the sauce until it starts to thicken.  Turn off the heat and add the cheddar cheese to the sauce.  Stir until melted.  Add the sauce to the macaroni.  Then add the cauliflower and blended butternut squash and mix together.  Salt and pepper to taste.

I have roasted the butternut squash as well for this recipe but honestly I couldn't taste the difference the one time I tried it.  If you want to roast the butternut squash, cut in half and scoop out seeds.  Then cook it at 400 degrees for about an hour in the oven.