Trick Or Treat Mac & Cheese - Revised

I happened to see this recipe demonstrated on an episode of The Chew.  I only saw the tale end of it, so I went online to check it out.  I revised this recipe to make it a bit healthier.  It turned out pretty good.  It made a HUGE portion.  If I make this again, I might consider cutting the ingredients in half to make a smaller portion.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced (I was able to purchase butternut squash that was already peeled and diced in the produce section of our local Kroger.  I used about 3 cups of the squash.)

2 cups kale, de-ribbed and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup Coconut Milk Creamer (I like the So Delicious Original Creamer)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 pound Rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup Tofutti brand dairy-free cream cheese

1 bar of swiss cheese, diced

1 cup bread crumbs

3 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread

3 Tbsp flour

3 cups soy milk, plain

1 Tbsp chipotle chili powder

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook rigatoni according to package directions.

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion, squash, kale, and garlic.  Cook until soft and  onions are translucent.  Add flour and stir to make a roux.  Slowly pour in the milk and creamer while stirring, and bring mixture to a simmer.  Cook gently until mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.  Add in the swiss cheese and the nutmeg.  Stir constantly until all of the cheese is melted.  Add cream cheese and mix until melted and combined.  Stir in the chipotle pepper and add the cooked rigatoni.  Toss pasta until it is well mixed.  You can serve at this point if you wish, which I think I might like better.

Another option would be to place the mac & cheese mixture in a casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs. Place under broiler for 1 minute or until breadcrumbs are browned (be careful...they burn quickly).  Top with chopped parsley.   

I served with green beans.

Recipe adapted from: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Halloween-Mac-Cheese-Michael-Symon