Healthy Mac and Cheese Cupcakes

Holy comfort food... these are amazing. I've read a lot of mac and cheese recipes using butternut squash to make a creamy cheese sauce, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Baking them in muffin/cupcake tins is a great way to control the portion size. Although your still probably going to want to eat the whole thing :)

Creamy, cheesy, delicious mac and cheese. You wouldn't even guess they are healthy.

Make this. Now.

Healthy Mac and Cheese Cupcakes
Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) package frozen cooked butternut (or winter) squash
3 minced garlic cloves
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk (this is what I had, cow's milk should work fine)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheeses
3 cups cooked whole wheat elbow pasta (I used Barilla Protein Plus)
3 teaspoons panko breadcrumb
Parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Nuke butternut squash in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add to a large sauce pan with the garlic, chicken broth, and milk. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Evenly distribute the pasta mixture to the muffin cups. Top with about 1/2 teaspoon panko bread crumb and then bake for about 18-20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Per one "cupcake": 233 calories, 9 g Fat, 26 g Carbs, 12 g Protein