Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is a holiday favorite, loved by all. It's simple to prepare, with lots of cheese of course, then baked to perfection. Your holiday table will never be the same!
Ingredients
Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb short-form pasta such as macaroni, fusilli, or cavatappi
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk add ½ cup more for a more creamy sauce.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 16 oz colby jack cheese
- 6 oz gruyere cheese
Optional Aromatics
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 1 shallot diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13"). Set aside.
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions in heavily salted water. Cook for 1-2 minutes less than instructed. Drain and set aside, tossing once after a few minutes to avoid the noodles sticking together. Do not rinse.
- While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then separate out ⅓ of the shredded cheese to save for topping, leaving about ⅔ of the shredded cheese intended for mixing into the sauce.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Option to add aromatics here (see Note 1 for instructions if doing so). Once melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking every so often. Slowly pour in about 1 cup of the milk, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Add the spices and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the remaining milk, while whisking, until combined and smooth.
- Pour in the pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Continue to cook for about 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and, using a spatula, stir in about half of the cheese intended for mixing into the sauce. Mix until combined, then add the remainder of the cheese intended for the sauce. It’s okay if you still see some small chunks of cheese - this will create pockets of gooeyness in the end result.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir to combine fully, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and becomes bubbly. Option to leave under the broiler for the last minute. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: If using garlic, shallot, or sage, add to the butter as soon as it starts to melt.
For shallot: Add to the butter and cook for 5 minutes (or until translucent) before adding the flour.
For garlic: Add to the butter and cook for 3 minutes before adding flour. If using both shallot and garlic, add the shallot first to allow to cook.
For sage: Add to the butter and cook for a few minutes or until the butter becomes brown. Remove from the butter and set aside on a paper towel. Add the sage leaves on top of the final layer of cheese before baking. I do not recommend adding sage if you are using shallot and garlic already, as they will prevent the sage from crisping up.