Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese meets fall with this tasty variation on a good ole kid classic. This pumpkin mac and cheese recipe is seriously easy to make, so throw away your box mix and meet me in the kitchen!
My kids absolutely love pumpkin. It probably has something to do with Halloween, but if you tell them there’s pumpkin in it, they will gobble it up. Actually, they are the ones that asked me to make this.
Kids: “Hey, mom? Can you put some pumpkin in my mac and cheese?”
Me: “Um yeah, why didn’t I think of that?”
Those brilliant little pumpkin eaters, but every once in awhile their combinations are not so good, like the time they ate Nutella on cherry tomatoes.
Get Your Roast On
I love the smell, taste, texture, really everything about roasted pumpkin. It’s just another example of how the real deal, the slow-cooked version is so much tastier than canned or frozen. Fresh, roasted pumpkin is just so flavorful. I like to get a pie pumpkin from the store and roast it up for making all sorts of delicious fall food. We roasted one pumpkin this week and we were able to make two batches of pumpkin mac and cheese, pumpkin hummus, and pumpkin black bean quesadillas. That’s a lot of pumpkin! Anyway, if you roast a pumpkin you’ll have plenty, so go crazy and planning out your pumpkin menu.
Upgrade Your Pasta
Since traditional mac and cheese doesn’t include much protein, I like to swap out the pasta for chickpea pasta to ensure everyone is getting their protein. I am a huge fan of Banza chickpea pasta and use it all the time. It’s not only yummy, but a single serving of Banza chickpea pasta has 5 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein! Plus, for gluten-free pasta, I really like the texture of chickpea pasta. It doesn’t get mushy and keeps well for leftovers. Chickpea pasta is definitely pricier than regular pasta, but as the saying goes “you get what you pay for”. For the extra nutrition it packs, I think chickpea pasta is worth the extra buck. Give it a try, I would love to know your thoughts!
It’s Just Not Mac and Cheese Without Well… Cheese
My kids love Dubliners cheese, and it works amazingly in this pumpkin mac and cheese recipe. Dubliners is a sharp cheese, like a white cheddar, which goes so nicely with the sweetness of the pumpkin. You can use any sharp cheddar or other strong cheese, whatever you have in the fridge will work just fine. Also, you can easily make this recipe dairy-free (and vegan too!) by substituting with vegan cheddar.
What’s the Best Kind of Pumpkin?
So far this year we’ve tried out three different kinds of pumpkins: giant pumpkins that my son grew in our garden (although they never got bigger than a regular-sized pumpkin), mini pumpkins, and pie pumpkins. I can tell you from experience that it’s best to stick with pie pumpkins. They are sweeter and have more of that signature pumpkin flavor. Don’t be put off by the name, you can totally use them in things other than pie. Plus, pie pumpkins get softer than other pumpkin varieties when roasted, making it easy to scoop the flesh out and toss into recipes. No blending required.
How to Roast a Pumpkin
Find yourself a pie pumpkin. Preheat your oven to 350°. Grab a baking pan and a silicone baking sheet. Cut the pie pumpkin in half and scoop out the “guts” and coat the flesh with olive oil. I like to pour about 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil inside each pumpkin half and then rub it around with my hand. Especially make sure to coat any areas that will touch the silicone baking sheet so the pumpkin doesn’t get stuck. Place the pumpkin flesh side down on the silicone baking sheet. Pop it in the oven to roast for about an hour. Once the pumpkin has cooled scoop out the flesh and put it in a container with a lid for refrigerating. Roasted pumpkin keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
No time for pumpkin roasting? No problem, you can still enjoy this tasty pumpkin mac and cheese recipe using canned pumpkin puree. If you do use canned pumpkin, decrease the amount of cashew milk. Use only 1/2 cup of cashew milk, because the canned pumpkin is always more liquidy than roasted pumpkin.
Alright, let’s get cooking!
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This is a really easy and quick pasta recipe. Skip the box and make this much tastier, much more nutritious version in almost the same amount of time!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Slow-food
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of chickpea pasta (I love the Banza wheels)
- 1 cup of roasted pumpkin (or canned pumpkin puree)
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened cashew milk
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese chunks (Dubliner cheese recommended)
- 1/2 tablespoon of fresh sage, finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packaging.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, rinse it, and set the pasta aside.
- Make the cheese sauce in the same pot. Add the pumpkin, cashew milk, garlic powder, and salt. Mix everything together with a whisk to get the pumpkin as smooth as possible. If the pumpkin is still very chunky simmer it on medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Next, add the cheese, continue cooking on medium-low until the cheese has melted, approximately 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- Add the sage and the pasta. Mix everything together and then it’s ready for eating!
Notes
Great as leftovers and perfect for school lunches!
Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Did You Give This Recipe a Whirl?
Please give it bunches of stars and add a comment to share your thoughts! What was easy? What didn’t work? Did you discover an even more delicious version? I would love to know to keep improving each recipe.
Sharing is caring! If you love this recipe please pass it along to your peeps so we can all start eating a little healthier, one delicious meal at a time.
Cheers,
Erica
This sounds delicious. I look forward to giving it a try.
Hope you enjoy it!