I have a picky daughter. Some days I can stick healthy vegetables in a sandwich or on her plate and she'll just eat it. Most of the time, it is war to get her to eat "the good stuff." For both our sanities, I enforce a one bite rule. She must try one bite of everything no matter how green and strange looking it is. If she is unwilling, she gets a five minute time out on her bed, enforced immediately. I've only had to give her a time out twice. And since enforcing the one bite rule, I have discovered that there are foods she truly can't stand the taste of and foods that she would prefer not to eat (but will eat). I haven't quite figured out if it's a control thing, like she wants to decide what she will eat, or if it's a "I like the taste of processed food better so I don't feel like eating healthy." I am thinking it's a little of both. After seeing the results from the one-bite-rule, I know which vegetables are worth battling over and which ones will cause a serious fight because she seriously can't stand them.
Sometimes, one doesn't want to have to fight over food. Food fights are not fun.
Well, not like this anyway.
So, one night I decided to try hiding vegetables in Addy's food. I needed something that was mild in flavor, similar in color to what I was hiding it in... Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash.
Addy loved it.
She even helped me make it, so there was no secret about the squash throughout the dish.
Butternut squash when pureed and spread through pasta looks a lot like yellow cheese. It has a mild, sweet and nutty flavor that doesn't take mac and cheese in a strange direction. I use chicken apple sausage to compliment it's sweetness (and tell Addy it's chicken or hot dog, whichever one happens to work on a given evening to get her to eat it). I keep the cheese and the butter as low as possible (well, I probably could have gone a little lower on the butter... I guess I could only sacrifice so much butter ha!)... I was not going for decadent comfort food in this recipe. It does taste warm and comforting, but not heavy. It's good enough to make it on our dinner menu 2 times a month in the winter. It has the makings for a sophisticated flavor profile, but it stops a little short so my daughter's 3-year-old palate will not find a reason to dislike it.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese This recipe uses half of a butternut squash. I either save the other half for another meal later on in the week (wrap it up and it will totally keep for a few days in the fridge) or cook both halves and use all the extra pureed squash for baby food for my son. (Freeze in ice cube trays for easy storage).
Cutting this bad boy will require muscle and an good knife. Butternut squash is not the easiest thing to cut through. Scoop out the seeds and slimy stuff. Stick in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (until it is tender) or place on plate, cover with saran wrap, and microwave on high for about 6 minutes. Allow to cool (or at least its a good idea lest you burn yourself. Been there. Done that.)
(If you maintain a preschool-age-free or more sophisticated household, you could also cube and saute butternut squash, rather than puree it)
When squash is done, preheat oven to 350.
When squash is almost done in oven or while squash is cooking in the oven, put on water for pasta on a burner and bring it to a boil. Slice 4 sausages lengthwise in fours and then cut into cubes. I usually use Aidell's chicken apple sausage. It wins my taste-test. I have also used mild Italian sausage (1 lb) and ground beef (1 lb). I like the chicken apple sausage the best, though the Italian sausage is a close second. Ground beef was bland but had potential with more seasonings added to it.
Chop 1 cup of onions. (chop more finely for the especially picky child. They are less likely to notice their presence). Spray a pan that's been heated on medium heat with canola oil. Throw onions and sausage into pan and saute. (Aidell's sausage is already cooked so if you are using this, your meat/onion mixture is done when the onion's tender and browned).
Place 2 cups of pasta into boiling water. When grocery shopping, I pull out a couple different styles of pasta shapes that will work and let my daughter pick which ones she likes. If she feels like she picked it out, she is that much more likely to eat it. (Some shapes that work: small shells, elbow, ziti, cork screw, or we have even found ones that looked like flowers... can't remember the official name, but my girly-girl loved them.)
The key to cooking pasta that will go into the oven is AL DENTE. Over cook your pasta and you will assuredly have mush after it spends time in the oven. So, read the bag/box of pasta for al dente cook time, stand by that boiling pasta, turn on a timer... do whatever you have to do to not overcook it.
Peel skin off of squash, cut it into chunks and place in food processor.
Puree.
(If you have a baby, take out a baby sized portion, add water until its baby food consistency and feed him fresh baby food. I love doing this. I realize it isn't much different than the jar and this really is almost effortless, but it still makes me feel like THE WOMAN. I like feeling that way.)
Place 1/4 cup of melted butter, 1/4 cup of milk, pasta, meat mixture in casserole dish. Add a "ch-ch-ch" of nutmeg (a "ch-ch-ch" is a little more than a dash and can be described as the seasoning bottle, while open to the sprinkle setting, rising and falling 3 times and each time the cook makes the sound effect "ch"... Okay I know I am weird. If you don't speak in sound effect measurements go with a dash or 1/8 a tsp. I totally make sound effects while cooking.) Also add a 1/4 tsp of cracked pepper and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Add 1 cup of cheese (I usually end up with an assortment based on whatever is in my fridge... Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Romano, American, Parmesean. I find it smart to make sure some kind of yellow cheese like cheddar or American ends up in your mix just for the simple fact that it will hide the yellow squash better as well as about a 1/4 cup of a saltier cheese like parmesean or romano. Last night, I used all five of the aforementioned cheeses simply because I had all of them in my fridge). Add in your butternut squash. Stir. Remember cheese will have a chance to completely melt in oven. Sprinkle top with a little cheese for prettiness sake.
Place in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes.
This is deliciousness your preschooler or toddler can appreciate. (And will hopefully save you the food drama for one night anyways). I know my preschooler loves it. And so does mom and dad! Disclaimer: My daughter likes this. She's the only preschooler I've tested this on. And while she is definitely picky and definitely likes it, it is not a sure thing that your child will like it as well. Please do not blame me if your child refuses to eat this. I wish I could guarantee that a handful of nutritious recipes could solve dinner time drama for good, but, alas, as each child is different and prone to being fickle, I fear that is not the case.
1/2 lb of Italian sausage and 2 chicken apple sausages mac and cheese combo pictured above. A very delicious combo too.
Without pictures and wordy explanations:Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese1/2 butternut squash
2 cups of dry pasta (small shells or elbow)
1 cup of chopped onion
4 chicken apple sausages, cubed
1 cup of shredded cheese, plus a little extra for topping (Suggested: About 3/4 cup of American, cheddar, and/or jack and 1/4 cup of Parmesan or Romano)
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup (1/2 cube) of unsalted butter, melted
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 tsp of cracked pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1. Bake butternut squash in 400 degree oven until tender (30-40 minutes) or microwave for 6 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Saute onions and sausage in pan until onions are tender and just browned.
4. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Place dry pasta in water. Cook until al dente and drain.
5. Peel skin off of butternut squash and puree it in a food processor.
6. Place melted butter, milk, pasta, 1 cup of cheese, sausage/onion mixture, butternut squash, and seasonings into casserole dish and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed. Top with a cheese and place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serves 4 large adult portions or 2 adults and 1 preschooler dinner, plus enough leftovers for all 3 at lunch.
