Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

Mac & cheese made with gruyere, cheddar, and pumpkin. Perfect recipe to celebrate this glorious fall weather that even non-pumpkin fans will enjoy

I spent the past weekend in Chattanooga with my fam, and we had a blast!

We were packed like sardines on the ride up there Friday afternoon… my sister and I sat in the way back, my niece and nephew sat in the middle, and my mom sat shotgun while my brother in law drove.

Nice and cozy are we… and no, I was not in charge of snacks! I brought my own pumpkin granola {and ate some Cheez-Its because I love ’em}

A Meme sandwich with my two favorite people. Could they be any cuter?

So while I was there, I was determined to make some pumpkin macaroni and cheese because I didn’t get a chance to do it before I left. Joy was intent on helping me and reminded me every 4.5 minutes that “hey Memes, it’s probably time to make macaroni and cheese, right?” or “Meemsie, I think it’s time we cook some pumpkin cheese… pumpkin macaroni… what are we making again?”

Yeah, I didn’t really know either and honestly didn’t feel like cooking. But Joy and I always try to cook at least one time whenever we are together, so I knew we had to make something.

She was my professional cheese grater, and she did an excellent job. She always helps supervise in the kitchen, and she gave me tips on how to do things. Tips from a four-year-old are always appreciated. Oh and she helped with the photo shoot after her bath {see small hands for evidence haha}

She didn’t actually taste it, but her picky brother did. At first he didn’t try it or maybe he didn’t like it, but after some minor coaxing, he actually ended up eating and enjoying it. Total win in my book.

Plus, the grown-ups really liked this. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin. I like a little pumpkin but only a hint of it. I hate pumpkin pie and anything like that. I really enjoyed this though; the pumpkin flavor isn’t very strong and you might only notice it if you know it’s made with pumpkin.

This Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese has a savory, cheesy flavor that is perfectly complemented with the rosemary. I used a combination of gruyere for its delicious flavor plus reduced-fat sharp cheddar for the cheeses. I made this gluten free because that happened to be the pasta I grabbed on my way out of town. It would be good with regular whole wheat pasta, but I really enjoyed the brown rice pasta. I buy mine at Walmart but you can also get it online.

I like that this Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese has two veggies {pumpkin and onions} in there to bulk it up with fewer calories. Plus, the pumpkin helps make more sauce and makes the sauce thicker.

This Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese makes about 10 cups, so it can serve 8-10. Leftovers reheat well and freeze well too.

If you are not a fan of rosemary, I assume you could use sage, as it works well with pumpkin in savory recipes. However, I have only tried this with rosemary so I don’t know for sure.

One last thing… this mac & cheese only uses one pan. Less clean-up is always a bonus! Enjoy 🙂

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

Mac & cheese made with gruyere, cheddar, and pumpkin. Perfect recipe to celebrate this glorious fall weather that even non-pumpkin fans will enjoy

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• 4 cups brown rice pasta shells or whole grain pasta
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 large onion diced (2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic minced (2 teaspoons)
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 cups 2% milk or whole, do not use skim
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 15 ounce can 100% pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese shredded (1-1/2 cups)
• 2 ounces gruyere cheese shredded (1/2 cup)

Instructions

• Bring a large Dutch over or pot of water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside {don't rinse the pasta}.
• Return the Dutch oven to the stove and heat over medium-high. Add butter and onions. Sauté until onion is softened and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cornstarch. Stir well for about 1 minute.
• Stir in milk slowly to completely incorporate. Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, rosemary, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf and stir in pumpkin. Make sure it is completely combined. Stir in cheeses and mix until cheese has melted. Add in cooked pasta and stir well. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

Thanks again Mom and Jim for a fun weekend and for letting me have my Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese photo shoot on your back porch 🙂

Meme

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