My household loves this pumpkin mac and cheese! Our recipe is straightforward to make, and the pumpkin really makes the cheese sauce further creamy and scrumptious. That is the proper Fall dinner!

In case you have but to attempt it, including pumpkin puree to macaroni and cheese makes the whole lot creamier and much more scrumptious. I used to be amazed once I first tried it. Pumpkin actually makes mac and cheese style unimaginable!
Use homemade pumpkin puree, or take into account this recipe the proper excuse for utilizing leftover canned pumpkin through the Fall. I often escape this recipe after making a batch of pumpkin scones or pumpkin spice lattes.

Key Elements
- Pasta: I exploit pasta with nooks and crannies since they do an incredible job holding onto our creamy pumpkin sauce. Elbow macaroni and shells are nice choices.
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin for this (not pumpkin combine, which has some spices added to it). Libby’s or Entire Meals 365 are dependable store-bought choices. Or make your individual. Right here’s our pumpkin puree recipe.
- Butter and Flour: The mixture of butter and flour thickens our creamy cheese sauce. You’ll prepare dinner them collectively on the range after which add the milk. The combination thickens, and you’ll add your cheese. Straightforward!
- Milk: I exploit complete or reduced-fat milk for the cheese sauce.
- Cheese: I really like cheddar cheese for macaroni and cheese. It’s flavorful and melts superbly. I additionally want to grate the cheese myself. It melts so a lot better than the luggage of pre-shredded cheese.
- Extras: To make this pumpkin mac and cheese style unimaginable, I stir in a bit of mustard, black pepper, and nutmeg.
Make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Our favourite savory method to make use of pumpkin is to stir it right into a tacky, velvety sauce and make pumpkin mac and cheese. Similar to our baked mac and cheese and this creamy mac and cheese, this pumpkin sauce is straightforward to make on the range.
To make it, soften butter in a big pan, then whisk in flour till mild brown and nutty. Pour in some milk and whisk till the sauce thickens. After you have a creamy sauce, it’s all in regards to the seasonings. We add salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard for some zing, and pumpkin puree.


For the cheese, we use further sharp cheddar. It simply tastes higher that method. We additionally grate the cheese ourselves. After making many batches of mac and cheese, we’ve discovered that home-grated cheese melts extra simply than the cheese offered pre-grated in luggage.
When the cheese melts, the sauce is prepared for the pasta. For stovetop mac and cheese, you possibly can cease at this level, seize a bowl, and dig in. Or, for an additional tacky crust, you possibly can bake it. And that’s it! Easy pumpkin mac and cheese! You’re going to find it irresistible.


Straightforward Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
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PREP
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TOTAL
My household loves this pumpkin mac and cheese recipe! Pumpkin puree makes a velvety, wealthy mac and cheese. Use pure pumpkin puree, not the can labeled “pumpkin pie combine,” since spices are added. Homemade pumpkin puree is a superb possibility, as nicely. You may also swap pumpkin for one more squash, reminiscent of butternut squash. If you’re in a position, purchase a block of cheese after which coarsely grate it as an alternative of shopping for pre-shredded cheese. In our expertise, home-grated cheese melts higher and turns into extra creamy than grated cheese out of a bag.
8 Servings
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Want
1 pound (450g) pasta, reminiscent of macaroni or shells
Salt, as wanted
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (470ml) milk, complete or 2% are greatest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon contemporary floor black pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
1 cup (227g) pure pumpkin puree, attempt homemade pumpkin puree
2 cups (226g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces
Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter a 3-quart casserole dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare dinner pasta as directed on the package deal. (Normally 7 to 10 minutes). Drain.
3Soften the butter in a big, high-sided pan over medium warmth. When it begins to bubble, add the flour. Prepare dinner, whisking continually for two to three minutes till the butter smells aromatic and nutty. The colour of the butter-flour combination will flip mild brown.
4Whereas whisking, slowly pour within the milk. Proceed to prepare dinner, whisking continually till the sauce bubbles and thickens.
5Scale back the warmth to low, after which season the sauce with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard.
6Add the pumpkin puree and three-quarters of the grated cheese. Stir till the cheese has melted and the sauce is easy. Style the sauce for seasoning and alter with extra salt or pepper.
7Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce till nicely coated, then spoon into the ready baking dish and high with remaining cheese.
8Bake uncovered till golden brown on high, for about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes earlier than serving.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- Storing: Preserve lined within the fridge for as much as 3 days. To freeze, switch to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 2 months. Bake, lined, in a 350°F oven for about an hour. Or thaw in a single day and gently reheat on the range (if it appears dry, add a tablespoon or two of additional milk).
- Dutch oven: In case you have one, make the sauce in an oven-safe Dutch oven. This manner, there isn’t any must soiled a baking dish. As an alternative, combine the pasta and sauce within the Dutch oven and bake.
- The vitamin information supplied under are estimates.
Vitamin Per Serving
Energy
474
/
Protein
19g
/
Carbohydrate
57g
/
Dietary Fiber
4g
/
Complete Sugars
5g
/
Complete Fats
19g
/
Saturated Fats
11g
/
Ldl cholesterol
51mg