Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Stir in some creamy and delicious pumpkin goodness in a comfort food classic with this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.

My eldest son is a mac and cheese nut. I have made so many different variations over the years to satisfy his love for this dish. From homemade to out-of-the-box, I swear that boy never met a mac and cheese he didn’t like.

Over the years I have managed to sneak in some peas and other vegetables into his mac and cheese. And for this recipe, I found my inspiration with the fall season and made a creamy and delicious pumpkin macaroni and cheese.

Why this recipe is so great

Mac and cheese is total comfort food. And if you have persnickity kids, sometimes it is the only meal they will eat. There are many ways you can sneak in vegetables into mac and cheese.

I took my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe and modified it, modified it, modified it. I came up with this creamy, cheesy recipe. I have cooked and puréed cauliflower and mixed it into the cheese mixture. I managed to get my kids to eat peas and corn in the mac and cheese.

And now I am adding pumpkin purée. You can do this with homemade mac and cheese following my recipe, or use the store bought version. Either way, pumpkin adds a mild sweetness to the cheese mixture which kids love.

And they get some of the great vitamins that pumpkin offers. It is up to you if you want to tell them or not!

Ingredients you need

• Macaroni: You can use the classic macaroni or any other pasta shape your family likes: shells, penne, rotini.
• Cheddar Cheese: My son loves sharp cheddar so that is what I used for this recipe. Feel free to use extra sharp or even mild cheddar.
• Pumpkin Purée: You can use homemade pumpkin purée or canned. You can also use any squash purée like butternut or acorn squash.
• Milk: This is the liquid base for the cheese sauce. If you want it even creamier, you can use heavy cream.
• Butter and Flour: This makes the roux that thickens the cheese sauce.
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Recipe step-by-step instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. When water is boiling, add macaroni and cook according to package directions, until pasta is firm and slightly undercooked, approximately 8 minutes. Drain macaroni in a colander and reserve.

2. In the meantime, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
When butter is foamy, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

3. Slowly add the milk and continue to whisk until there are no lumps. Whisk in pumpkin puree. Cook until sauce thickens, approximately 2 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese.

5. When cheese has melted completely into the sauce, mix sauce with the reserved macaroni.

6. Pour macaroni and cheese into a baking dish lightly greased with butter.

7. Bake at 375ºF uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Expert tips and recipe FAQS

There are a number of ways you can customize your mac and cheese. Any kind of pasta can be used, but choose one that is sturdy enough to hold the cheese sauce.

• For mac and cheese, use elbow pasta, penne, shells, or rotini.
• If you want to add more vegetables to the pasta, stir in peas, broccoli florets or even bell pepper right before you transfer it to the baking dish.

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Yield: 4 servings

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Print

Stir in some creamy and delicious pumpkin goodness in a comfort food classic with this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ lb macaroni
• 2 TBS butter, unsalted
• 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 2 cup milk
• ½ cup pumpkin purée
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ground
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Butter or apply non-stick spray to a 9" baking dish. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
   When water is boiling, add macaroni and cook according to package directions, until pasta is firm and slightly undercooked, approx 8 minutes.
4. Drain macaroni in a colander and reserve.
5. In the meantime, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
   When butter is foamy, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
6. Slowly add the milk and continue to whisk until there are no lumps.
7. Whisk in pumpkin puree. Cook until sauce thickens, approximately 2 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese.
9. When cheese has melted completely into the sauce, mix sauce with the reserved macaroni.
10. Pour macaroni and cheese into prepared pan.
11. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
12. Serve warm.

Notes

Serving Suggestions: Use different shapes of pasta made of whole wheat, spinach and other healthy ingredients. You can also add pumpkin purée to boxed macaroni and cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 571Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 765mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 28g

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