Creamy Cheesy Avocado Mac {Recipe}

This is my attempt to make a gourmet spin on mac and cheese. It's creamy, it's cheesy, it's got avocado. It's pretty perfect to me, and to be frank, my new favorite comfort food. I've been known to make this twice in one week for lunch. (I'd make it more if I could get away with it!) One of our friends actually told me about adding half an avocado to his mac and cheese and he liked it. I took that tip and ran with it. This is what I came up with.

Creamy Cheesy Avocado Mac

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (I used "thick and creamy")

2 oz cream cheese

milk (About 1/3 cup)

1 avocado, roughly mashed

swiss cheese (about 1/3 cup shredded)

Tony's Chachere Creole Seasoning (a few good shakes cause I like the spice)

Cook your macaroni as it's directed on the package. While your pasta is cooking I prepare my avocado. Cut your avocado in half and remove the seed. Use the spoon to scoop out the yummy avocado goodness into a small bowl. Use a fork to roughly smash it (it's okay if it has some lumps, actually it's preferred) and set it aside.

Once your noodles are done drain them and return them to the pot, instead of using butter this is where we are going to use cream cheese. I've used more but I find 2 oz of cream cheese does just the trick. Mix the cream cheese with the hot noodles to melt and coat them.

Add in the powdered cheese and milk and mix. Add in your grated swiss cheese and stir until melted.  Fold the mashed avocado  into your mac and cheese. Finish off with a couple shakes of Tony's and boom delicious "gourmet" mac and cheese! I'm telling you this is my new favorite invention! I add more Tony's once I dip mine into a bowl because like I said I like it to have that kick but you can adjust it however you like. Mmm....

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

The perfect risotto for a cool fall night! Love the garam marsala flavor that this dish has, it pairs well with the butternut squash and parmesan!

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

1 cup arborio rice (uncooked)

4 cups chicken broth

1 med size butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, diced in 1/2 in cubes

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1. 5 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp butter

olive oil (2tbsp + extra for coating squash)

garam masala (1 tbsp, more if desired)

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel, deseed and chop the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes.

3. In a large bowl toss squash with olive oil and garam marsala.

4. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and roast the butternut squash for 30-40 minutes until tender.

5. Heat chicken broth in a pot over medium heat. Let it gently simmer, DO NOT BOIL!

6. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter on medium heat and let melt. Cook the onion and garlic a few minutes until softened. **(Add in and slightly mash half of your roasted squash)

7. Add the arborio rice and toast for 3-5 minutes.

8. Add the wine to the rice and stir until wine is absorbed. 

9. Ladle in warm chicken broth while stirring rice. STIR CONSTANTLY! Let it cook and absorb into the rice before adding more chicken broth. Repeat this until rice is cooked. This usually takes about 30 minutes for the brand of rice we use. Remember to constantly stir so that your risotto will cook properly.

10. Fold in the roasted butternut squash and then stir in the parmesan.

11. Serve immediately. Garnish with butternut squash and a few sprinkles of cheese if desired.

**Since first creating this recipe, we've changed it a little. Before we start cooking the rice, we cook about half of the squash in the pan with the onions, slightly mashing them as we stir. Then we fold in the other half of the squash into the dish after the rice has cooked. It seems to give the rice more butternut squash flavor!

It's pretty amazing and so is my husband for creating this for me! Let me know if you love it as much as we do! Enjoy!!