Sweet dreams are made of cheese, as Annie Lennox (almost) sang — and mac and cheese is the cheesy comfort food classic par excellence, with a blend of cheeses forming a velvety sauce for pasta. What if we jazz it up even more by making Pumpkin Mac and Cheese? The pumpkin goodness somehow makes the cheese creamier and adds fresh flavor. This healthy seasonal vegetable takes mac and cheese onto a new level!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I adore this dish, for the way it sneaks one of my favorite seasonal vegetables into a comfort food classic. You’ll love it too, for reasons like:
Inspiration Behind Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe
I love regular mac and cheese — who doesn’t? —- but you gotta admit that a dish consisting mainly of carbs and cheese isn’t the healthiest thing to be eating every day. But whenever I’ve tried to reduce either the carbs or the calories, it hasn’t turned out very well. So then I decided to think out of the box. Yes, let’s embrace this dish for being what it is — but add something more to make it healthier.
My pumpkin mac and cheese is incredibly comforting, and no less cheesy than any other. But by adding pumpkin, we’re not only making use of a delicious seasonal vegetable, we’re also adding vital nutrients and boosting the health profile of this classic comfort food dish. It’s the perfect pairing.
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Ingredient list
To make creamy pumpkin mac and cheese you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ingredient Substitutes
If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, you can sub in one of the following:
Variations
How to Make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe With Easy Cooking Steps
Cooking Tools
- Cheese grater
- Whisk
- 1 small-medium saucepan
- 1 medium-large saucepan
- Oven proof casserole, baking dish or Dutch oven
- Mixing bowl
Cooking Method
- Simmering
- Baking
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook pasta to al dente in a large pot of water, according to package directions.
- Shred the mozzarella, cheddar, and gruyère.
- Grate the parmesan.
- Finely chop the rosemary.
- Warm the milk slightly.
- Cooking Steps
For the pumpkin creamy cheese sauce
- Add the butter, flour, garlic powder, and rosemary to a small pan set over medium-low heat.
- Melt the butter, whisking occasionally, and cook until the flour is toasty smelling and slightly browned in places.
- Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin purée, warm milk, crème fraîche, and mustard together.
- Add the pumpkin-milk mixture to the toasty butter-flour mixture. Turn up to medium heat and cook whisking constantly, letting the milk mixture boil gently until the mixture thickens.
- Whisk the cheddar, mozzarella, and gruyère cheese into pumpkin bechamel. Stir just until the shredded cheese have melted into a smooth sauce, then turn off the heat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, being sure to use a lot of freshly ground black pepper.
To assemble and bake
- Add the cheese sauce to the cooked pasta. Stir to combine well, then transfer to an oven proof casserole.
- Mix the 2 types of breadcrumbs together with the parmesan.
- Top the cheesy pasta with a layer of breadcrumbs.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Leave the baked pasta to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Alternative Method
I do love the crunchy breadcrumb topping from the oven, but if you’re looking for a one pot pumpkin mac and cheese, you can make this recipe without baking. Simply add the cooked macaroni to the hot cheesy pumpkin sauce and stir to combine. You can add a sprinkle of crispy panko breadcrumbs to the plate, to adjust for the missing crunch. It’s not quite the same, but a very acceptable alternative version of this cheesy dish, especially if you’re looking for a quick pumpkin mac and cheese.
Best Tips to Ace This Recipe
Time-Saving Tips
What To Serve with Pumpkin Mac and Cheese?
Pumpkin macaroni and cheese is so rich and delicious that a sharp condiment cuts through the creaminess perfectly. Try one of my homemade pickles, like:
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños
- Sweet and Spicy Pickled Red Onions
- Quick Pickled Radish
- Quick and Easy Pickled Avocado
How To Store Pumpkin Mac and Cheese?
Pumpkin mac and cheese keeps very well in the fridge. Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature and store them in an airtight container. It should stay good for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on full power for about 1-2 minutes until piping hot. This is the best method for how to warm up mac and cheese without drying it out.
Alternatively, heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Transfer the macaroni cheese to an oven proof dish and warm through in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until bubbling at the edges. Be careful not to heat for too long, otherwise it might dry out.
Conclusion
I think you might have just found your new favorite comfort dish for pumpkin season! My Pumpkin Mac and Cheese gives you a creamy sauce, all the cheesiness your heart could desire, combined with healthy vitamins and sweet fall pumpkin flavor. Make it tonight, and let me know in the comment how you get on!
More Fall Recipes
Looking for more vegetarian dishes for fall? Try out one of these:
- Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
- Pumpkin Shakshuka
- Warm Lentil Salad with Leeks
- Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Curry Veggie Chunks
FAQs
Macaroni noodles are a type of pasta shape, and mac and cheese is a dish, that is commonly made with macaroni pasta. “Mac” in the name “mac and cheese” is just an abbreviation of “macaroni”.
What pasta shape is best for mac and cheese is largely a matter of personal taste. The classic elbow macaroni shape is commonly used, but so is straight macaroni. If you’re wondering what pasta to use for mac instead of elbow, you could also try penne, rigatoni, ziti, pipe rigate, or cavatappi pasta — any short tubular pasta or twists will work.
There are many kinds of cheeses that are appropriate for this dish, but I think the best cheese for macaroni is cheddar, followed by gruyere, and mozzarella. But I will also make pumpkin mac and cheese with any bits of favorite cheese I have lying around, including cream cheese, gouda, parmesan, fontina, taleggio, and even goats cheese or blue cheese from time to time.
Ideally, you should let baked mac and cheese rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving, but if you want to dig in right away, no one’s judging!
Nutritional values
Macros Protein: 20% | Carbohydrates: 50% | Fat: 30%
Per serving Calories: 592 kCal | Total Carbohydrates: 73.9 g | Net Carbohydrates: 68.0 g | Sugar: 9.0 g | Protein: 28.7 g | Fat: 20.4 g | Saturated Fat: 11.8 g Cholesterol: 60 mg | Sodium: 402 mg
Cheesy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 10 ounces macaroni elbow or straight, cooked to al dente in boiling water, according to packet instructions
- 3 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 ounces gruyère cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin purée
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup coarse bread crumbs
- ¼ cup fine bread crumbs
- ¼ cup créme fraîche
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 sprig of rosemary finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook pasta to al dente in a large pot of water, according to package directions.
- Shred the mozzarella, cheddar, and gruyère.
- Grate the parmesan.
- Finely chop the rosemary.
- Warm the milk slightly.
Cooking Steps
For the pumpkin creamy cheese sauce
- Add the butter, flour, garlic powder, and rosemary to a small pan set over medium-low heat.
- Melt the butter, whisking occasionally, and cook until the flour is toasty smelling and slightly browned in places.
- Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin purée, warm milk, crème fraîche, and mustard together.
- Add the pumpkin-milk mixture to the toasty butter-flour mixture. Turn up to medium heat and cook whisking constantly, letting the milk mixture boil gently until the mixture thickens.
- Whisk the cheddar, mozzarella, and gruyère cheese into pumpkin bechamel. Stir just until the shredded cheese have melted into a smooth sauce, then turn off the heat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, being sure to use a lot of freshly ground black pepper.
To assemble and bake
- Add the cheese sauce to the cooked pasta. Stir to combine well, then transfer to an oven proof casserole.
- Mix the 2 types of breadcrumbs together with the parmesan.
- Top the cheesy pasta with a layer of breadcrumbs.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Leave the baked pasta to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
