Delicious Pumpkin Mac and Cheese!!! Tis the season for everything PUMPKIN!!! This mac and cheese is creamy, savory, cheesy and oh so good! Make it and let me know what you think!
Let’s bust out the sweat pants, leggings and big sweaters because I’m going to be eating all the pasta this fall and into winter. Ha! Just kidding. Well, not really.
If you know me, you know I love pasta. I could eat pasta every single day for the rest of my life and be happy. Some days, I will even share a box of mac and cheese with Madeline. Hey, it doesn’t always have to be homemade. . and we like to add real shredded cheese, along with the powder cheese packet and some butter. It’s quick and delicious and fills our bellies.
Madeline and I even made a video together making macaroni and cheese. You can watch it here.
Delicious Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
When fall rolls around and all the pumpkin and squash comes out, I know it’s time to make this delicious Pumpkin Mac and Cheese. It’s so good and just makes me so happy and warm inside. Tips: use canned pure pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix you would use for pie. I seriously get this question so just stating it here again. Save your pasta water. Anytime you make pasta, save the pasta water. It’s the perfect thing to help you thin out the sauce or make it creamier.
Good mac and cheese always starts with a roux. Trust me on this. This recipe is straight-up a pumpkin mac and cheese. I made this one, using a box mix, and added apples and bacon.
Delicious Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta any kind; I used Mafaldine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme leaves only
- 1 1/2 cups milk any kind
- 1 heaping cup pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin)
- 1 heaping teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 heaping tablespoon Korean gochujang optional for some heat
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup gruyere, gouda and/or white cheddar mix shredded, see note above
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, to al dente. RESERVE A CUP OF PASTA WATER. You won't use all of it but it's nice to have it if you need it. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Using a large pan over medium heat, start melting the butter and then sprinkle in the flour over the butter and whisk together. Allow to cook for 1 minute, then add in the thyme. Next, pour in the milk and the pumpkin puree and the Worcestershire sauce and whisk together until everything is smooth and combined. Let cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. At this point, I added a little pasta water (start with 1 to 2 tablespoons), (add the gochujang if using ), mix and then season with salt and pepper.
- Turn the heat to low and add in all of the cheese, constantly mixing to melt and incorporate everything. Add in your cooked pasta and add a little more pasta water if needed. Using tongs, toss everything together until all of the pasta is nicely coated in the pumpkin cheese sauce. Taste. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe inspired by this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese from Spoonforkbacon.com and I also want to try this one from Broma Bakery!
