Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

This extra cheesy Jalapeño Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin is a creamy, slightly spicy dish that your family will love! It’s pure comfort food, perfect to enjoy this fall season! The ultimate macaroni and cheese recipe!

Mac and cheese is one of those classic comfort foods that people always enjoy. It’s fun (and tasty) to mix up the traditional dish from time to time by adding different flavors, like in this pumpkin jalapeño mac and cheese. I’ve simply added in some spice and pumpkin purée to take things up a notch, while still maintaining all the creamy and cheesy goodness.

Ingredients In Jalapeño Mac And Cheese:

This unique mac and cheese recipe is packed with pumpkin and cheese for so much yummy creaminess. The pumpkin is rich and has a touch of sweetness. The cheese is savory and melts beautifully. We also add in a couple of jalapeño peppers for a slight kick of heat. It’s the perfect combo.

What a wonderful savory, holiday macaroni and cheese this is. Your family and friends will go crazy for this side. And I don’t just reserve pumpkin for the fall season, though, so I say have it year round!

How Do You Make Jalapeño Mac And Cheese With Pumpkin?

For this recipe, you’ll need pumpkin purée. You can use the canned pumpkin from the store or take the extra step and make your own fresh pumpkin purée. I do this with all of our garden pumpkins, but if you don’t grow pumpkins, buy some pumpkins for fall and then roast them up! Here’s my full instructions on how to make fresh pumpkin purée.

Now, chop up the jalapeño peppers. Don’t touch your eyes while handling the peppers!

Next, boil the noodles. The recipe calls for elbow noodles but I also really like to use a variety of noodles. This is called “multi boxes of almost empty pasta”. Does this happen to you too? Lots of times for recipes I mix the different varieties of pasta. Totally works! For this one, I used elbows and shells, both types suck up this cheesiness nicely.

Set the cooked pasta aside and get started on the cheese sauce. Start by melting butter in a medium size saucepan over low-medium heat. Add in flour and stir until smooth.

Stir in milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to stir for 1 minute until it’s thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in pepper, nutmeg, mustard and salt. Add in the pumpkin purée, chopped jalapeño peppers and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, stirring until cheese is completely melted.

Once your cheese sauce is done, you’ll want to just grab a spoon and eat it all up. I would never do this. Actually, I totally would. It’s really yummy.

Time to combine the cheese mixture with the cooked pasta in a baking dish. Stir until the pasta is completely coated with the cheese sauce.

Top the cheesy pasta mixture with the 1/2 cup remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF.
And out comes this beauty! COME TO MAMA!

This is one of my favorite dishes to make for dinner parties, especially during the fall season. It’s great to serve alongside some stewed or diced tomatoes. It would even be great served at a Halloween party or as a side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.

  This jalapeño mac and cheese with pumpkin is one of the easiest dishes I make. Many times I serve it as the main course and not just a side dish. Although it works great as a side dish, it’s hearty enough that it could definitely be the main meal. I’ve already added this cheesy dish to our menu for next week’s dinner choices.

People gobble this jalapeño mac and cheese up! There’s very rarely any leftovers. Make sure you grab your share and enjoy this extra cheesy jalapeño mac and cheese. 

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love:

Pasta al Gratin Macaroni and Cheese
Basil Pesto Pasta
Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese
15 Minute Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
Broccoli Pasta

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Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

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This extra cheesy Jalapeño Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin is a creamy, slightly spicy dish that your family will love! It’s pure comfort food, perfect to enjoy this fall season! The ultimate macaroni and cheese recipe!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 jalapeno peppers seeds removed, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make elbow macaroni according to box. Drain, set aside in baking dish.
• In a medium size saucepan melt your butter over low-medium heat. Stir in flour and continue to stir until smooth. Stir in milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to stir for 1 minute until it's thickened. Remove from heat.
• Stir in pepper, nutmeg, mustard and salt.
• Add in pumpkin puree, jalapeno peppers and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, stirring until cheese is completely melted.
• Add cheese mixture to pasta in baking dish and stir until it's all coated.
• Top with 1/2 cup remaining shredded cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 292kcal (15%)

Course:Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Keyword:Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

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