Winter Squash Cheese Sauce with Cauliflower

With all of the holiday stress on my plate, the recent 'In the Kitchen w/Roz' luncheon had to be cancelled. 

This made me sad. One, because I love hosting you all; and two, because I love to eat, and this recipe was on the menu... 

With a nod towards our upcoming Thanksgiving feasts, here are two recipes that will have your guests (especially the women who are trying to watch carbs!) raving. 

If you do use these recipes, please, take a picture of your masterpiece and share it on the facebook page!

So these recipes accomplish a few goals: eat healthy, eat cheap, eat local. 

Eat Healthy:
1 cup cooked Butternut Squash contains: 
80 calories 
6 grams of Fiber (22%!) 
460% Vitamin A 
50% Vitamin C 
8% of the Calcium and Iron you need in a day. 
Eat Cheap/Local:
 My local farmer's produce stand is selling winter squash for .75 each. That's a LOT of food super cheap. 

The real test of course is - Will they eat it? 

Sure, we can cook just about anything, but if they won't eat it... 

Left: Cheesy Squash with Noodles & Ham | Right: Cheesy Squash Cauliflower

Never fear. I've got your back. 

The following recipes are toddler AND husband approved. Notice the super-sneaky addition of the squash...

Cheesy Squash Sauce will have a natural sweetness to it, so if you are unsure how your family will react, only add one cup, then taste. 

Don't be afraid to be creative with this sauce. I'm thinking it would make a very tasty dip if you added chopped spinach and served with pita chips. I used it with cooked rotini and cubed ham to make a meal for the men. 

They loved it.

It would also be super tasty served as a dipping sauce with homemade bread; or slathered on a hot ham sandwich. 

Really, this stuff is amazing. I hope you enjoy it!

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Cheesy Squash Sauce w/ Rotini & Ham

Cheesy Squash Sauce

2 cups Pureed Roasted Winter Squash
3 cups Milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese (we use raw cheddar or white cooper - just use a smooth-melting cheese)
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Realsalt
1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg (optional)

In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and spices. 

Add milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. 

When milk is hot and the roux is completely incorporated, add the cheese, again stirring until completely incorporated. Turn heat down if you need to, don't boil or simmer this sauce.

Lastly, add the squash, whisking in until sauce is thick and orange in color. 
Remove from the heat. 

Proceed with Cheesy Cauliflower (below) or any recipe calling for cheese sauce.

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Cauliflower encased in cheesy goodness

Cheesy Cauliflower

1 large head of Cauliflower, cut into bite size florets (enough for a single layer in a 9x13 casserole)
1 recipe Cheesy Squash Sauce
1 cup Panko crumbs, Bread Crumbs or crumbled, cooked, bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blanch cauliflower by boiling for three minutes in either broth or water. Cool off immediately under cold running water. Drain.

Butter (or use olive oil spray) a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread out cauliflower in single layer. 

Pour cheese sauce over top. Sprinkle crumbs or bacon. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to make sure it doesn't get too brown. 

You can turn this into a meal by adding cooked cubed chicken, ham or sausage to the cauliflower. 

Serve with organic brown rice. Yum!

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