Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe
This pumpkin macaroni and cheese combines pumpkin purée, cheddar, milk, and spices for a creamy mac and cheese, and it's ready in about 30 minutes!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for salting pasta
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 ½ cups whole milk warmed
- 1 (8-ounce) block cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 ½ cups)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot, covered.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook until the mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until well combined.
- Turn off the heat. Gradually add the shredded cheddar, stirring until melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until the pasta is evenly coated.
Notes
- My Top Tips: Cook the pasta to al dente. The noodles will soak up some of the pumpkin cheese sauce as it sits, so slightly undercooking them helps keep the texture of the macaroni from becoming mushy.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits, but it’ll loosen back up once warmed. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each interval. Add a splash of milk or water to bring the sauce back to a creamy consistency. Avoid high heat it can cause the cheese to separate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8864IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 1mg
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