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Unleash a burst of fall flavors with our 20-minute Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe! This quick and easy dish features the creamy richness of canned pumpkin purée, paired perfectly with the sharp tang of cheddar and the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of gruyere cheese.
Quick & Easy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Alright, let’s get real about holiday magic! Picture this: Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, right? Now, toss out the boring and dial up the flavor with this insane pumpkin mac and cheese. It’s not your grandma’s recipe; it’s next level! Imagine a pumpkin cheese sauce that turns that basic mac into a flavor explosion. It’s savory, creamy,
And get this—it’s super easy to make. No kitchen chaos, just pure deliciousness. Your whole place will smell like a cozy haven, and your taste buds will be on a comfort food rollercoaster.
It’s the dish that steals the spotlight and turns your dinner table into a feast-worthy masterpiece. Trust me, your friends and family will be begging for this recipe.
Cheers to keeping it easy, keeping it tasty—now let’s get to cooking!
Ingredients
- short-cut pasta: elbow macaroni, shells, and fusilli are great kinds of pasta as they catch more of the sauce. Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- pumpkin puree: pure pumpkin, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling as those contain spices and sugar.
- sharp cheddar cheese
- gruyere cheese
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- brown rice flour or all-purposeflour
- dijon mustard
- nutmeg powder
- cinnamon powder
- fresh thyme
- fresh sage leaves
- salt and black pepper
How to make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
1.Cook the pasta.Bring a large pot of water and 2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta.
2.Make the cheese sauce. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add the sage and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together until fully incorporated. Pour in the milk and cheese and fold together until the cheese is fully melted. Add the pumpkin puree, dijon mustard, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and stir until melted and creamy.
3. Assemble the dish. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture and mix. Top with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
4. Optional: Bake! If time allows, pour the pumpkin mac and cheese into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free or regular). Bake in the oven at375°F (190°C) for 12 minutes.
How can I make this dish gluten-free?
This recipe calls for brown rice flour or all-purpose flour to thicken the pumpkin cheese sauce. Brown rice flour is gluten-free and is a 1:1 ratio to all-purpose flour making it a great alternative! As for the pasta, usegluten-free pasta such as chickpea pasta or brown rice pasta.
How to store Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Fridge: Transfer the mac and cheese to an airtight container. If it’s in a baking dish, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Store inairtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for 2-3 months.
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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Indulge in fall flavors with this savory pumpkin mac and cheese—creamy, comforting, and simply delicious comfort food at its best!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 641 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta (gluten-free or regular)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or brown rice flour if gluten-free)
- 15 oz canned pumpkin
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 3.5 oz gruyere cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (finely chopped)
- 7 medium sage leaves (finey chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- salt and pepper (to taste, about 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add the sage and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together until fully incorporated. Pour in the milk, sharp cheddar and gruyere cheese, and fold together until the cheese is fully melted. Add the pumpkin puree, dijon mustard, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and stir until melted and creamy.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture and mix. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, thin it out using 1/4 cup of milk at a time.
Optional: Transfer the pumpkin mac and cheese to a baking dish, top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 12 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 28gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 414mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 11905IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 574mgIron: 2mg
Keyword mac and cheese recipe, pumpkin mac and cheese, pumpkin mac and cheese recipe
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