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

I made a simple butternut squash mac and cheese inspired by The Pioneer Woman's recipe. This dish combines autumn flavors and is perfect for fall dinners. The Pioneer Woman's recipe includes roasted butternut squash, onions, and breadcrumbs. However, I found the onions overpowering compared to the squash. Butternut squash mac and cheese is a family-friendly comfort food that can be made with a few low-cost ingredients and serves 12 people, costing around $4 per serving.

To make this dish, start by preparing the butternut squash. Unlike pre-cut cubes, the recipe calls for a whole butternut squash cut in half. This part was surprisingly easy, and after removing the seeds, I set the other half aside for later. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and roasted the squash until it was fork-tender and slightly browned, which took about 30 minutes.

While the squash was roasting, I cooked the onions. The recipe requires two sliced yellow onions, which I cooked in a large, oven-safe skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter until they were a deep golden brown. This took about 15 minutes and filled my kitchen with a rich onion scent.

Next, I prepared the macaroni. After boiling it until it was al dente, I drained it and set it aside. I then mashed the roasted butternut squash and combined it with melted butter, flour, and sharp cheddar cheese in a skillet. Slowly adding whole milk and stirring helped create a smooth sauce. The cooked macaroni was then folded into the sauce, along with the cooked onions.

To finish, I prepared the breadcrumbs by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl and adding half a cup of seasoned Panko breadcrumbs. After sprinkling the breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese, I baked it for about 20 minutes. This simple butternut squash mac and cheese recipe is an easy and flavorful dish that's perfect for fall dinners.