Dinner.

We do a food co-op every other week.  If you don't know what that is here it is in a nutshell.  The co-op pools their money to buy in bulk from the grocers.  You get a mix of fruit and vegetables but it's always a surprise what's in there.

I also hate wasting food.  One week we had three butternut squash in our basket.  I have no clue what to do with them.  I have them so we're going to try something with them.  I was thinking to use them as a side with my meatloaf.  I looked on google and I found a recipe for "Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese", it used the squash and Greek yogurt as the base with other stuff to give it a good flavor.  Meatloaf and mac and cheese?  Sold.

I looked at the recipe and knew that I didn't have many of the ingredients but I've been cooking long enough to "tweak" when necessary.  Greek yogurt is a crime against nature so I used sour cream, my wife loving sour cream had nothing to do with the substitution.  I didn't measure the squash; I just used one of them (two more to get rid of).  I had beef broth and I eyeballed how much went into the skillet.  I eyeballed the milk and it wasn't fat-free crap.  Already told you my opinion of the Greek yogurt crap and I used about three tablespoons of the sour cream.  I eyeballed the "Dalmatian spice" aka salt and pepper, about one teaspoon of each.  I didn't have any of those cheeses so I used cheddar.  I like the pasta that can be stabbed so I used shells.

And then I looked at the clock.  I didn't have enough time to make the meatloaf so I added more sour cream, about another three to four tablespoons, and another cup (or a little less) of cheddar.  I already had the pasta going so I just browned some ground beef and then added the sauce to the meat and put that on top of the pasta.

I guess I might as well put my "recipe" down also, my wife might want me to make it again.

1 butternut squash, cubed and peeled
1.25 cups beef broth
1.5 cups milk
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2.5-3 cups of cheddar cheese
16 ounces of pasta

1.  Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a large skillet; bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is fork tender.  About 25 minutes.  Remove from heat.

2.  Place all of that in a blender.  Add Dalmatian spice and sour cream.  Blend until smooth.  Add cheese and blend some more; it's cheese, if it's not smooth the heat will melt it.

3.  Cook pasta according to usual method.

4.  Brown beef (and drain) and add sauce to meat to warm it up again.

5.  Serve sauce and meat over pasta.

6.  Eat what the kids didn't touch on their plates.

The original recipe from Cooking Light.

• 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth $
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk $
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt $
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper $
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 pound uncooked cavatappi
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon olive oil $
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) $
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. 2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. 3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.
4. 4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. 5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.
6. 6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.