This post was sponsored by No Yolks as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
This year for Thanksgiving, I’m making it a point to think “outside the casserole” and serve up some amazing and unique fall-inspired side dishes that my family is sure to love. My deep southern roots don’t quickly let me forget that casserole dishes are king of the dinner table, but I’ve been daydreaming of a fun way to make a common southern inspired dish with a delicious and unexpected twist!
When I’m feeling a little creative in the kitchen, I really love to reach for No Yolks noodles to help elevate my cooking to a whole new level. (You may have seen my Chinese takeout inspired Chicken Teriyaki Noodle Bowls using No Yolks noodles I shared just a few weeks ago!)
This time around, I really wanted to incorporate some more fresh and earthy elements onto our Thanksgiving table, and I can’t think of a more perfect veggie to use this season than acorn squash!
One thing that I really love about No Yolks noodles is that they’re so incredibly versatile. I’m fully convinced that they can be used in place of just about any noodle in any kind of dish! They’re not just for casseroles or stroganoff dishes, and they come in a variety of cuts (including Broad, Extra Broad, Fine, Kluski, Dumplings and Stir-Fry) so your imagination can truly run wild when it comes to incorporating them into a recipe!
Acorn squash is always a fun dish to cook this time of year, simply because they’re the perfect shape to “stuff” with just about any food you can think of! In my opinion, there are few things more comforting this time of year than a big bowl full of creamy mac and cheese, so I knew this was the direction that I wanted to go in when creating the perfect fall dish.
You can never go wrong with making a good old fashion macaroni and cheese, but sometimes old fashioned is just a little too predictable, ya know? Since I prefer to have a little spice in my life, I knew I couldn’t possibly go wrong with making Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash! Cheddar cheese is just fine and dandy, but the creaminess of a fine pepper jack cheese mixed with a gooey mozzarella is just unbeatable. I also ditched the traditional elbow shaped noodles and used my beloved No Yolks noodles to make this dish really shine!
No Yolks noodles were a perfect call for this dish. They always cook up perfectly smooth and maintain their firm yet fluffy texture no matter how you serve them. They’re also a healthy egg noodle alternative. Because they’re made from egg whites and not yolks, they’re low in fat, sodium and contain no cholesterol! Since this recipe requires you to both boil and bake the noodles, you really want something that will withstand the heat and not get mushy, and No Yolks always passes that test!
The creaminess of the cheese sauce combined with the hint of spice from the pepper jack marries really nicely with the fresh and nutty taste of acorn squash. Topping this macaroni and cheese with bread crumbs and crumbled bacon gives a nice texture to this comfort dish, and serving it inside an acorn squash makes it really fun and unexpected! This recipe can easily be doubled if serving a larger amount of people.
Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try!
Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash + Giveaway!
Ingredients
- 4 acorn squash
- 1/2 pound uncooked No Yolks Broad Noodles about 1/2 bag
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese
- 3 Tbs salted butter
- salt + pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- Real bacon bits
- Freshly chopped chives for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the bottom end off of each squash so that they can stand upright. Cut the tops off of each squash and keep the lid
- Scoop out all of the seeds inside the middle of each squash, and scoop out a little bit of the flesh to make room for plenty of macaroni and cheese
- Rub each squash and lid down with a little bit of olive oil, being sure to coat the inside a little, too.
- Place each squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Splash a very small amount of water inside each squash to prevent it from drying out, and pour about 1/8 cup of water into the baking dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes
- While the squash are in the oven, heat milk in a large pot on medium heat until it begins to bubble, but don't let it come to a boil.
- In a separate pot , melt butter and whisk in the flour a little at a time until it forms a nice paste
- Pour the hot milk into the butter mixture a little at a time, whisking thoroughly so that no lumps remain
- Simmer the milk and butter mixture for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Add in salt, pepper and shredded cheese and stir
- In a separate pot, cook No Yolks noodles until they are al dente. Drain and run noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process
- Stir noodles into cheese sauce, then pour macaroni and cheese mixture into each acorn squash and top with a handful of real bacon bits and a pinch or two of seasoned bread crumbs
- Bake (excluding the lid) for another 10 minutes, or until the outside of each squash is tender
- Serve immediately
Tried this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!
While those acorn squash are baking away in the oven, take a minute and enter the No Yolks Sweepstakes for your chance to win 1 of 5 $100 Visa gift cards! Ends November 15th, 2017. You can enter here:
*I-C will randomly select 5 winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes.
Snag the Savings:
Next time you head out to your local grocery store, make sure you save and print out this coupon for so you can save $0.50 off of any 1 No Yolks item!
As you’re making your meal plans during this Thanksgiving season, think outside the turkey and casseroles and serve up something extra fun and unexpected. No Yolks noodles are the perfect way to do just that! (Think along the lines of soups, salads, trifle dishes, stuffing mixes, etc!)
The vegan noodle soup recipe looks great.