Oscars-watching party with homemade kabocha mac-and-cheese

I never understood the hype about mac-and-cheese when I first came to the States. I think it's the American equivalent of the Chinese comfort food porridge, also a calorie-loaded version. Anyhoo, 11 years after my living in Texas, I'm finally trying to make mac and cheese from scratch! (I still think the instant versions are gross, fake cheese!) I'm starting to get the comforting aspect of this dish.

What I used
1 kabocha {a Japanese squash}
8 oz./ half-bag of elbow macaroni {full bag at 16 oz.}
1 cup of grated kraft sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 cup of grated Romano cheese
1.5 cup milk
1/2 Tablespoon butter
Some scallions {Chive would be the right thing to use, I used what I have in the fridge}
2 pieces of dried red peppers, finely chopped {could also use a pince of powder cayanne pepper}
Sprinkles of panko {Japanese break crumbs}

What I did
Cut kabocha in half, scrap out seeds. Steam over water for 10 minutes until soften. Remove skin and dice kabocha in small cubes.
Boil macaroni in salted water until cooked but slightly firm. Drain and shock in ice water to maintain firmness.
Place cubed kabocha in pot, add red peppper flakes, butter + milk to simmer. Mix well. Add macaroni and cheese, mix well. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Turn off heat and add scallion.
Pour mixture into a deep baking pan. Sprinkles panko and more cheese on top.
Bake at 400ºF (or 204ºC) for 10 minutes, then broil (to brown the top) for another 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it while broiling to avoid burning the food.