Creamy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
This homemade pumpkin mac & cheese recipe has it all... a rich, creamy, cheddar cheese sauce, a subtle blend of spices, and brightly-colored pumpkin puree. This is ultimate-comfort food, but with an extra superpowered veggie-boost!
Ingredients
- 16 oz dry pasta (macaroni, shells, or other short pasta shape)
Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce
Roux:
- 2 oz butter 4 tbsp or ½ stick
- 2 oz all purpose flour
Southern Pumpkin Bechamel:
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp yellow mustard powder (sift to remove lumps)
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
- ¼ tsp Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, or celery salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp white pepper (optional)
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
Cheese:
- ¾ cup grated cheddar or colby jack cheese (use up to a cup of cheese for extra cheesy sauce)
Instructions
cook roux and prep pasta water:
- Fill a large pot with salted water to cook the pasta, cover it, and put it on to boil over high heat.
- In a smaller pot (at least 2.5 quarts) with a heavy bottom, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Whisk in the flour all at once, and stir rapidly until there are no lumps.
- The roux will look dry at first, then bubble up as the flour absorbs the oil.
- Continue to stir for a few minutes but do not let the roux brown. This cooks the flour, and develops the thickening power of the starch in the flour.
make pumpkin bechamel sauce:
- The milk can be added cold, but it's more likely to clump if you are lax in your stirring. Preheat the milk slightly in the microwave or on the stove-top if you like... (use a microwave safe glass or plastic measuring cup to save a dish). Your sauce will thicken more quickly without clumping if you start with hot, but not boiled, milk.
- Whisk in the milk in a steady stream, stirring vigorously to remove lumps before adding all of the rest of the milk.
- Stir in all of the dry seasonings, and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce is beginning to thicken.
- Add the pumpkin puree, whisk again, and simmer until thickened while you cook the pasta, stirring regularly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (the cheese will add salt, so be sparing at this point).
cook & drain pasta:
- Cook the pasta in the pot of boiling water.
- Refer to the pasta package for timing. Don't overcook the pasta- you want it somewhat firm (al dente).
- Drain the pasta carefully, reserving about one cup of pasta water to thin the sauce if needed.
add cheese to sauce:
- Fold the grated cheese into the pumpkin cream sauce.
- Stir the sauce until it's smooth and the cheese is well incorporated.
- Pour your pumpkin cheese sauce into the hot cooked pasta and fold to mix.
- Add a splash of the pasta water if the mac and cheese is too thick, a tablespoon or two at a time until the consistency is velvety and smooth.
Notes
Creamy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Bacon:
- Cook 4-6 slices of crispy bacon and crumble or chop roughly.
- Set aside ⅓ for garnish, and fold in the rest after mixing the sauce and pasta.
- Top the finished dish or individual servings with the rest.
- For extra bacon flavor, substitute the rendered bacon fat for all or part of the butter in the roux when you make the sauce!
- Replace the salt with truffle-infused or herbed salt, and replace the Old Bay or Cajun seasoning with thyme or crumbled sage.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for grated Gruyere, Emmenthal, Jarlsberg, Swiss, or Fontina.
- Drizzle the finished dish lightly with truffle oil or grated fresh truffle before serving, or herb-infused flavored oil (chive oil is especially nice).
- Garnish with fresh sage leaves fried in butter for a special finish.
- Fold roasted diced vegetables into the pumpkin mac and cheese just before serving.
- Roasted chunks of pie pumpkin or butternut squash are particularly nice, as are sweet red peppers, summer squash, or roasted broccoli.
- Pour the mac & cheese from the pot into a buttered casserole dish.
- Top with a cup or two of grated cheese or up to a cup of buttered bread crumbs.
- Bake in a 375℉ oven until the cheese sauce is bubbly and the cheese topping is melted or the bread crumbs are golden brown and toasted.
Nutrition
Calories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 15gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 312mgPotassium: 398mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5311IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 2mg
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