Cheesy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Name: Cheesy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
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

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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!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Cuisine: American

Serving Size: 4 portions

Course: Main

Calories: 592 kCal

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:

Adding pumpkin makes mac and cheese even creamier!
Kids adore it, and don’t notice the hidden vegetable.
Perfect comfort food for a fall or winter’s day with a great cheese taste.
Easy to prepare in advance and just bake it off before eating.
An ideal dish to bring to potlucks — and everyone will ask you for the recipe!
Pumpkin is packed full of healthy nutrients, including lots of fiber and minerals, plus vitamins A, C and multiple B vitamins.
Absolutely as cheesy as it gets.

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 in a pan and plate with cutlery.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Ingredient list

To make creamy pumpkin mac and cheese you’ll need the following 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

Ingredients assembled for pumpkin mac and cheese

Ingredient Substitutes

If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, you can sub in one of the following:

Macaroni: You can use any kind of short, tubular pasta, or even twists.
Canned pumpkin purée: Steam fresh pumpkin or butternut squash until tender, then mash, for a homemade pumpkin purée.
Cheddar cheese: Any sharp flavored cheese will work here — try Monterey Jack, Red Leicester, or Wensleydale.
Mozzarella: Cream cheese is a good choice to replace mozzarella, or just double up on one of the other cheeses.
Gruyère: Gouda, emmental, fontina, or provolone will all work instead of gruyère.
Crème fraîche: Sour cream or heavy cream is fine instead.
Dijon mustard: A wholegrain mustard will be just as nice.
Bread crumbs: I used a mixture of coarse and fine bread crumbs for a variation in texture, but you can use just one type if you prefer.
Garlic powder: Try fresh garlic cloves instead. Peel and chop the cloves of garlic and add to the butter - just be careful not to burn them.
Rosemary: You can also use fresh sage leaves or thyme. The back flavor notes of the recipe will change slightly, but both are very nice.

Variations

For a vegan pumpkin mac and cheese, you can substitute a butter and almond milk or cashew milk. The cheese is harder to replicate, but many vegan cheeses these days are of high quality, and can be used as one-to-one replacements. If you don’t know or don’t have access to a good vegan cheese, you can make something that comes close by blending soaked cashew nuts, silken tofu, and nutritional yeast along with spices like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
You can try adding extra spices to a regular mac and cheese as well. Smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and grated nutmeg are especially good with this dish.
Pumpkin spice mac and cheese has become a thing in recent years. If you want to give it a try, don’t be tempted to use pumpkin pie mix. You’re much better off sticking with the canned purée in this recipe, and adding unsweetened pumpkin pie spice in small quantities to the butter and flour, tasting as you go. Be careful not to add too much, as the cinnamon especially can easily become overpowering in this recipe.

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

It might seem like A LOT of cheese. (Ok, let’s be honest. It is a lot of cheese!) But it’s not worth cutting back on the quantity. You’ll end up with a dish that has marginally less fat, but substantially less flavor. Better to make the real version with depth of flavor, eat it less often, and let it feel like the treat that it is.
Be sure to cook the butter and flour for long enough. You want brown butter which will release all sorts of toasty aromas and savory flavor. You will end up with little brown flecks in your sauce, but that’s okay.
Don’t stint on the black pepper. This recipe LOVES black pepper.
Make sure to use the right type of pasta. There is a reasonable amount of flexibility, but you definitely want short pasta lengths, either tubes or twists. Long pasta like spaghetti or tagliatelle is not right for this dish.
Also, don’t overcook the pasta. It will cook more in the oven, so be sure to follow the package instructions for al dente, even draining the pasta a minute earlier to be on the safe side.

Time-Saving Tips

When making bechamel, your sauce will thicken so much quicker if you warm the milk before adding it to the flour and butter in the pan. Cold milk takes a lot longer.
To get ahead, make the dish in advance and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Scatter over the breadcrumbs and bake at the last moment before eating.
I prefer home-grated cheese, but to save yourself a little extra time, you can buy pre-shredded cheese rather than shred your own.

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:

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!

Pumpkin mac and cheese served on a plate

More Fall Recipes

Looking for more vegetarian dishes for fall? Try out one of these:

FAQs

What's the difference between macaroni and mac and cheese?

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 is better for mac and cheese?

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.

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese?

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.

Should you let baked mac and cheese rest?

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%

Recipe

Cheesy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

FitMealIdeas

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!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 663 kcal

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