Description
Our creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe is a fall classic that is perfect comfort food and great for a busy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound medium shell noodles
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 cups dairy-free, unsweetened creamer or half & half
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 cup pumpkin pureé
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- garnish: chopped fresh parsley or sage
Instructions
- Prep: preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook Pasta: bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, add noodles, and cook, al dente, according to package directions – reserve approx. 1 cup of pasta water!
- Make Creamy Sauce: bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium high heat, add butter, and let melt. Add garlic to the hot skillet and move around until fragrant. Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Gradually pour in the creamer, whisking continuously. Add the sage, dijon mustard, pumpkin, salt and pepper – continue whisking to combine everything together. Add splashed of the pasta water to thin out, as needed (we used approx. 1/4-1/2 cup here). Once mixture is combined and you have reached your desired consistency, remove from heat and mix in 2 cups of cheddar cheese to melt.
- Add Noodles: put the drained noodles in the pan with the creamy sauce and toss to coat. Add additional splashes of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency and creaminess (remember the pasta will continue to soak up the liquid). Taste, add any additional salt, as desired.
- Bake: sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top and then the breadcrumbs. Move the entire skillet to the oven to bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Creamer: we tested this recipe with NutPods dairy-free, unsweetened creamer and Califia Farms Unsweetened Better Half, both work great! If dairy isn’t a concern for you, feel free to use regular half & half or heavy whipping cream.
- Dairy Free: use a dairy free creamer, dairy free cheese, and plant-based butter.
- Noodles: option to sub the shells for traditional macaroni noodles or any other pasta shape that you prefer.
- Breadcrumbs: highly recommend adding this little bit of crunch on top, use a store-bought version or learn how to make breadcrumbs.
- Gluten-Free: to make this gluten-free use gluten-free flour, gluten-free noodles and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 517.2 mg
- Fat: 21.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 59.3 mg