Give your dinners a fall upgrade with this Easy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese. The sauce is super creamy and you can make it in 20 minutes.
Why this is will become your go-to mac & cheese for fall
- it's a 20 minute meal
- it has a super creamy sauce
- pumpkin
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🥘 Ingredients
Pasta: any short pasta - macaroni, shells, fusilli
Butter & Flour: helps to thicken up the sauce
Milk: use whole fat milk for a creamier sauce, and low fat for a lighter sauce
Pumpkin Puree: it makes the mac & cheese so creamy
Cheddar Cheese & Gruyere Cheese: a great combo that works well with the pumpkin
Nutmeg: adds fall flavor
Salt and Pepper
🔪 How to Make Easy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
1. Cook Pasta and Make Roux: Cook pasta as directed on the packaging until it's al dente. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add Milk: Then slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Once it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Make Sauce: Mix in the pumpkin puree, then the cheddar cheese and gruyere cheese. Add in the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add Pasta: Add in the pasta to the sauce, tossing until it's well coated. If the sauce is too thick add pasta water or more milk.
🧀 Substitutions
If you can't find gruyere cheese substitute it with fontina or cheddar cheese.
You can swap out nutmeg for ground sage.
🥡 How to Store
Store any leftovers in an air tight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
To reheat microwave in 30 second intervals until it's warm enough. Stir after each 30 second interval.
🙋♀️ FAQ
It's creamier than regular mac and cheese with a slight pumpkin taste. It's not too overwhelming and some people might not even taste it if they don't know it's there.
👩🍳Tips & Tricks
Measure out the flour, milk, pumpkin, and cheese beforehand. Once you start making the sauce things will move pretty fast. Preparing the ingredients ahead of time will make you feel less rushed.
Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta macaroni, shells, any kind
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk any kind
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- ¾ cups gruyere cheese
- ½ teaspoon pinch nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on the packaging until it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Then slowly whisk in milk. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 2 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree, then the cheddar and gruyere cheese. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add pasta to the sauce, tossing until it’s well coated. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water or more milk
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!