Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Homemade mac and cheese recipe with creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is the best comfort food. It’s so easy to make! This cheesy pumpkin mac and cheese recipe uses 1 cup pumpkin purée and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. It turns out so delicious, ultra creamy, and flavorful – my favorite homemade macaroni and cheese recipe for fall!

I know some of you don’t want the summer to end, but I’d like for you to take my hand and enter into Fall’s journey.  It’s full of beautiful leaves, apple cider, chilly nights, cozy socks, ghosts and goblins, the color orange.

Oh pumpkin! Oh this recipe!

First, it was Pumpkin Brownies!  Then it was Pumpkin Chili. Now I’m pulling out the big guns… Macaroni and Cheese in creamy pumpkin pasta sauce!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

It’s that time again, pumpkin recipes all over the internet! I’m pretty sure you will see almost weekly pumpkin recipes until Halloween. I just can’t get enough!

Whenever fall hits, I’m on the lookout for every possible way to add pumpkin to our lives. We’ve even added it to our milkshakes — check out this Pumpkin Pie Milkshake Recipe. This time, it is stirred into a cheesy, velvety sauce.

Adding pumpkin purée to macaroni and cheese makes the whole dish creamier and so wonderfully delicious. Use homemade pumpkin purée or this recipe is perfect for using up leftover canned pumpkin during the fall. I usually break out this recipe after making a batch of my pumpkin donuts.

Not only does this recipe have pumpkin which is delicious, but it’s pumpkin macaroni and cheese. I know, drop what you’re doing. This is getting serious. Pumpkin. Melted Cheese. Pasta. Can it get any more perfect? I’m not sure, but I’d like to think this is close to it.
I promise you, the pumpkin in this baked homemade macaroni and cheese recipe doesn’t overwhelm this macaroni and cheese. It lends a creaminess and richness, plus it adds great nutrients. If your kids love their macaroni and cheese, this is a great way to sneak in some fiber and vitamins.

Bonus points: If you grow pumpkins, make sure you try my pumpkin purée recipe. It will make this dish incredibly fresh, earthy (in a good way) and flavorful. Plus, you will just feel like a pumpkin boss!

In this picture above, you can see some pumpkins we picked this summer, along with some fresh pumpkin puree I just made.

Preserving fact: Pumpkin freezes very well. I usually freeze pumpkin in 8 oz. or 16 oz. portions. Pumpkin purée easily lasts up to a year in the freezer.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Let’s whip up some pumpkin mac and cheese!
Start by gathering your ingredients. This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

First, cook elbow macaroni according to box instructions. Drain, set aside.

Now, melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan 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.

Spice it up with pepper, nutmeg and mustard.

Time to add the pumpkin purée with  shredded cheese. Stir this mixture until cheese is completely melted. This, here, is your creamy pumpkin pasta sauce. I dare you not to just take a big spoonful right now.

Once your creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is ready, add your elbow macaroni into the creamy pumpkin pasta sauce. Stir until the pasta is completely coated in sauce.

Transfer the mix into a baking dish. The Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce might seem a bit runny. Don’t worry. It’s supposed to be like that. Once it bakes, it will set properly.

Top the pumpkin mac and cheese with 1/4 cup of the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. BOOM! MY GOODNESS! LOOK AT THIS MAGIC.

This pumpkin mac and cheese is just so beautiful and rich. It smells amazing too! That there is the smell of fall in your kitchen

Start serving and swooning! It will be a magical dinner!
Enjoy this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with my creamy pumpkin pasta sauce!

Pumpkins, you guys rule.    We are best friends forever.  

Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me or using the hashtag #brooklynfarmgirl on Instagram! 

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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Homemade mac and cheese recipe with creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is the best comfort food. It’s so easy to make! This cheesy pumpkin mac and cheese recipe uses 1 cup pumpkin purée and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. It turns out so delicious, ultra creamy, and flavorful - my favorite homemade macaroni and cheese recipe for fall!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pumpkin mac and cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 293 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make elbow macaroni according to box. Drain, set aside.
3. 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.
4. Stir in pepper, nutmeg, mustard.

5. Add in pumpkin puree and 1 3/4 cups of shredded cheese, stirring until cheese is completely melted.

6. Add macaroni to cheese mixture and stir until it's all coated. Pour into baking dish.
7. Top with 1/4 cup remaining shredded cheese.

8. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.