Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 oz (450g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree (425g), homemade or 1 (15-oz) can
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups milk (480g)
- 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyere (150g/5.3 oz), or sharp cheddar
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar (150g/5.3 oz)
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (15g)
- pinch of cayenne pepper optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente (it should have a bite to it, don't overcook the pasta). Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot. Make brown butter: cook the butter over medium-low heat until it smells nutty and it's light golden brown in color (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the flour, whisk until well-combined then cook for 1 minute. Whisk it from time to time making sure it doesn't get too dark.
- Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, mustard, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then cook for 2 minutes, whisking often, until the puree is thickened a bit. Allow it to brown a little bit at the bottom of the pot but be careful not to burn it.
- Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until well-combined. Bring to boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking from time to time, making sure the sauce doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.
- Take the pot off the heat, make sure the sauce is not bubbling when you add all kinds of cheese. Gradually add the cheese, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. Add the next portion of cheese when the previous one has been incorporated/fully melted. Grated cheese will melt the easiest but you can also get away with small chunks. If the cheese is not melting you can put the pot back on the burner and heat it gently over low heat.
- Season your cheese sauce with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir until combined. The dish will be rather runny at this point but it will thicken considerably while cooling.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Good types of pasta for mac and cheese are: macaroni, fusilli, small shells, cavatappi, or bow ties.
- This dish reheats well and can be frozen (you can find more information in the post).
- How to make baked pumpkin mac and cheese with breadcrumb parmesan topping:
For the topping you will neeed: 3 tablespoons butter (45g), 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (55g), and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (45g). Melt the butter in a small pot. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until combined. Take the pot off the heat and add the grated parmesan, stir until combined.
Make your pumpkin mac and cheese as described above but cook the pasta 2 minutes shorter than the cooking time on the package. Transfer your mac and cheese into a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) casserole dish. Stir in an additional 1/4 cup of milk. Top the noodles with parmesan breadcrumb topping and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 400°F (200°C) or until the topping is golden. - For stovetop mac and cheese, crumbled cooked bacon or crispy pan-fried prosciutto are great toppings.
- You can use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. You can use pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree (choose sugar/pie pumpkin types, not large pumpkins that are perfect for carving). I would really recommend using homemade pumpkin puree - it's so easy to make and the difference in flavor is huge! Basically, you need to cut it in a couple of large chunks, bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-40 minutes until fork-tender, then scoop out the seeds (discard them) and the flesh using a spoon. Puree the flesh with a blender and discard the skin. It's done! Do not use pumpkin pie filling (!) which is sweetened and already spiced.
- Instead of the spices listed in the recipe, you can use pumpkin pie spice.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/8 of the stovetop recipe). This is only an estimate!
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal