Pumpkin mac and cheese is a delicious spin on a classic dish! Cheesy and filled with delicious pumpkin flavor, this amazing pasta will be the ultimate fall recipe that your family and friends will love!
I love a good mac and cheese recipe and you add in some pumpkin and I am sold! Go ahead and try this Incredible Lobster Mac and Cheese, Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, or this insanely delicious Chicken Caprese Macaroni and Cheese. They are all so different and delicious!
What is Pumpkin Mac and Cheese?
Pumpkin mac and cheese is a delicious dish that is based on traditional mac and cheese. It is filled with sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to bring in that amazing fall taste that we all love. Then, you not only add in some unique cheeses but you add in some pumpkin puree. So get ready because this is a recipe that you will want to make over and over this season!
I love a unique mac and cheese because my kid LOVE it. So if there is any way that I can switch it up so that we can make it more often without feeling burnt out of the same recipe over and over, I want it! This pumpkin mac and cheese has such a unique and subtle sweet taste that it’s slightly addicting! It pulls in all of those classic fall flavors. But I especially love that it is a savory recipe that uses pumpkin. There are so many cookies, bread, and desserts out there that use pumpkin. So it’s nice to find one that I can use for dinner instead!
Ingrdients to Make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Full of a mixture of sweet and savory flavors, this mac and cheese are unique and delicious! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.
- Elbow pasta: I prefer to use the large elbow noodle for this mac and cheese!
- Butter: Try and use unsalted butter so that you are not adding any additional salt to the recipe.
- Four: All purpose flour will work great for this!
- Milk: Any kind of milk, 1% or 2% is perfect in this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree: You can use store bought pumpkin puress or you can try this simple and easy homemade pumpkin puree recipe! Then you are guaranteed to have it around all season long! Even if the stores run out!
- Gruyere cheese: This is probably the only thing on the ingredients list that you won’t have readily on hand. So just make sure to snag some of this at your local grocery stoe before starting to cook!
- Sharp cheddar cheese: This is my favorite sharp cheddar cheese to buy!
- Salt: This will enhance all of the flavors in the mac and cheese.
- Pepper: The pepper brings in a savory flavor without any heat.
- Nutmeg and cinnamon: These are the classic fall flavors that bring a unique, sweet and subtle taste into the flavors.
Let’s Make Some Mac and Cheese!
This pumpkin mac and cheese will take you less than 30 minutes to make! It’s delicious and incredibly easy!
- Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour in the noodles and cook according to package directions. Remove them from the pot and rinse with cold water and set them aside.
- Create a roux: In the same pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add in the flour. Stir them to create a roux. Add the milk to the pot whisking periodically until it thickens.
- Grate cheeses and combine: While it’s thickening, grate the cheeses. Once the milk mixture is thick, add in the pumpkin puree and whisk. Add both kinds of cheese to the pot and stir until they melt and combine.
- Add spices: Then add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. If you want your sauce to be less thick add in ¼ a cup to ½ a cup more milk.
- Combine and stir: Add the noodles back to the pot and stir everything together. Serve warm!
Quick Tips
Pumpkin mac and cheese is the ultimate fall dish! Here are a few tips that will help it turn out perfectly!
- Cheese: Don’t use prepackaged shredded cheese. That cheese is coated to help is not stick to the bag that it’s in. This makes it so that it doesn’t melt as well as cheese that is shredded from a block. To get that creamy and smooth texture, grate your own cheese!
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure that when you buy your pumpkin puree from the store that that’s exactly what it is and it’s not pumpkin pie mix. I know it sounds silly but its a super easy mistake to make and it happens often! Pumpkin pie mix will already have spices mixed into it and you just want pure pumpkin. In fact, you can just make your own homemade pumpkin puree and you won’t have to worry about mixing things up at all!
How to Store Leftovers
This pumpkin mac and cheese tastes fantastic the next day! Here is how you can store your leftovers to enjoy later!
- Refrigerator: Once it has cooled, store your pumpkin mac and cheese in a sealed airtight container in your fridge. It will last up to 5 days!
- Reheat: Go ahead and reheat this either on the stovetop or in the microwave for a couple if minutes (stirring occasionally) until it’s heated through.
More Savory Pumpkin Recipes to Try
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour in the noodles and cook according to package directions. Remove them from the pot and rinse them with cold water and set them aside.
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In the same pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add in the flour. Stir them to create a roux. Add the milk to the pot whisking periodically until it thickens.
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While it's thickening, grate the cheeses. Once the milk mixture is thick, add in the pumpkin puree and whisk. Add both kinds of cheese to the pot and stir until they melt and combine.
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Then add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. If you want your sauce to be less thick add in ¼ a cup to ½ a cup more milk.
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Add the noodles back to the pot and stir everything together. Serve warm!
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