Are you still looking for that perfect dish to complete your Thanksgiving table? Here’s a tasty suggestion: Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese. It is a delicious meatless option that is packed with flavor but with the addition of the pumpkin purée, is lighter than a traditional macaroni and cheese. Plus, if you are in a situation where you need to hide the vegetables, no one will be the wiser. This is also a great meal to get your teeny tiny sous chef to help you cook. I wasn’t able to get any photos (Boo!), but Eliana helped prepare this meal by helping my husband shred the cheeses and she helped me to stir the roux. Happy Family Cooking!
- Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese
- Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- -1 box (16 ounces) whole wheat macaroni/elbows or other small pasta
- -4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- -4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- -2½ cups milk (I like to use a mix of whole milk and 1% milk)
- -2 cups Simple Pumpkin Purée (or store bought unsweetened pumpkin purée)
- -1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve ¼ cup for topping)
- -1 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve ¼ cup for topping)
- -2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- -1 teaspoon salt
- -¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- -⅛ teaspoon dried mustard
- -½ teaspoon dried thyme
- -⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- -1 cup bread crumbs (I like to use whole wheat panko bread crumbs)
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 375° and lightly grease a lasagna pan or large, deep baking dish. Mix the reserved ½ cup of cheddar cheeses and the bread crumbs together in a small bowl for topping the cheesy pasta before you bake it.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions minus 2 minutes. After it has cooked, drain the pasta and return it to the pasta pot.
While the pasta cooks, begin creating the roux. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Once it begins to melt, turn up the heat to medium and let the butter begin to brown. Whisk in the flour until you create a thick paste.
Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time so it forms a thick sauce. Keep whisking as you stir in the puréed pumpkin and all the spices. Add the 1½ cups of the mixed cheddar cheeses and stir until it is all melted. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
Carefully, pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Use a rubber spoon to make sure all the pasta is coated evenly.
Pour the pasta and sauce into pan/baking dish. Top with the bread crumb and reserved cheeses mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Let cool for around 5 minutes before enjoying.
Happy Cooking!