Meal Bite: Healthy BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese

Hi Busies!

The arrival of January in our household brings a feeling of dread.  The cold weather itself is miserable, plus it means the dogs stay cooped up in the house more and get restless.  All the holiday fun is over, and I have 4 months of long work days ahead of me.  Like, 12-16 hour days.  Yuck!

One thing that gets me through this tough time of year is food.  Food is fuel, and keeping my fuel healthy this time of year is extra important, since I’m getting less sleep and dealing with cold weather.  I’m convinced this is one of the reasons I haven’t gotten sick during a busy season yet!  

On the other hand, winter means my body is craving warm, comforting, carb based dishes.  Fighting those cravings are hard, so I like to find compromises that satisfy those cravings, but also keep things lighter and healthier.  Enter this Bbq Pork Mac & Cheese.  The cheese sauce is made with pureed butternut squash, so it’s slightly sweet, which is perfectly enhanced by the drizzle of barbecue sauce that goes over top.  Sprinkling a little smoked gouda over top tricks you into thinking you’re eating a decadent, cheesy sauce, when really you’re getting a secret serving of veggies and lean protein!  And, this freezes like an absolute gem.  It was enough for 3 dinners for Drew and I, plus I had leftovers for a couple of work lunches that I kept frozen for a separate week.

Seriously y’all, this Bbq Pork Mac & Cheese is everything a winter meal should be:  warm, filling, and cheesy.  The pork cooks with just 5 mins of prep in the crock pot until it’s fallaparttender, and the sauce whips up in a snap after roasting butternut squash (meal prep bite – roast the squash for this and the sweet potato for this Mexican Sweet Potato Hash at the same time!).   I recommend storing the pork in a separate container from the mac and cheese, then combine when you’re ready to serve and drizzle with a bit of extra barbecue sauce.

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Healthy Mac & Cheese with BBQ Pork

Shredded barbecue pork served over creamy, cheesy, mac and cheese, made lighter and healthier by butternut squash in the cheese sauce. Great to make ahead and freeze - meal prep instructions included!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Sam - Busy Girl Bites

Ingredients

Mac & Cheese

• 16 oz macaroni pasta
• 1 yellow onion (optional)
• 4 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (divided)
• 1/2 cup broth of choice (as needed)

BBQ Pork

• 1 bottle bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
• 1 pork loin

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Place the pork and 1/2 bottle of sauce in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the pork is tender. Shred and refrigerate overnight then freeze until ready for use.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle squash with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast 20-30 minutes or until tender, flipping halfway through. Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside.
3. Place squash, milk, 1/4 cup of cheese, onion, salt, and pepper in a blender. Puree until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, slowly add broth to thin. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Refrigerate overnight then freeze until ready for use.

To Serve

1. Thaw pork and pasta overnight. Place mac in bowl, sprinkle with extra shredded cheese. Top with shredded pork and a drizzle of bbq sauce. Enjoy!