
Whenever anyone asks me to name some of my favorite foods, macaroni and cheese is always at the top of the list. It’s such a simple dish but for me it’s the ultimate comfort food. When I was growing up, I was more than happy eating macaroni and cheese from a box. Nowadays I like to experiment with many different versions of the classic dish. I enjoy trying out combinations of different cheeses and stirring in various ingredients like caramelized onions, lobster, and truffle oil. I even make an Indian version called Masala Mac & Cheese.
Recipe
Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta)
- 1 ½ cups low fat milk (1%)
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin
- 2 ½ ounces shredded low fat Cheddar (about 1cup)- I used Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar
- 1 ¼ ounces shredded Fontina cheese (about ½ cup)
- 2 ounces reduced fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Topping (optional):
- ½ cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs (0.65 ounces)
- 1 ½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried sage
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve some of the pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a large sauté pan until just simmering and whisk in the pumpkin. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the Cheddar, Fontina and Neufchatel cheeses along with the mustard, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted (the sauce may be slightly grainy- this is normal). Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine well. Add a small amount of the reserved pasta water as needed to adjust the consistency.
- The dish can be served at this point with just a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. If desired, you can make a topping by combining the breadcrumbs, oil, sage and salt together in a small bowl. Transfer the mac and cheese to a serving dish or individual gratin dishes and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
Kathy Shea Mormino says
Hello, new follower here and I’d like to invite you to join me at my weekly Clever Chicks Blog Hop:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/clever-chicks-blog-hop-14-baklava.html
I hope you can make it!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
Ann says
I came looking for this recipe and it does not disappoint! Be still my pumpkin-loving heart! Fabulous, Sonali!
Yum Girl says
Sounds completely delicious with no sacrifice! If I may, I’d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon!
http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/
Ally says
I'm gonna try this, Sonali...I'm mac n' cheese impaired...never good at making it...sounds weird, huh, but mine's either too dry, sticky, or just sucks!! Thanks for the new recipe! xo Ally
Lynnette Moore says
I have to try this sounds amazing! Nettie
Drew says
This looks SO yummy!