Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Something about Fall makes me want to put pumpkin in everything. I’ve seen pumpkin mac & cheese around lately in restaurants and on other blogs, so I decided to take a crack at my own recipe for it. I already knew pumpkin and pasta work well together from the Sausage & Pumpkin Pasta I’ve made in the past, so while it may sound strange to some I was already on board.

The first thing you need to know is that adding pumpkin to a roux or cheese sauce will automatically give it the richest, creamiest texture you could ever hope to achieve without loading it up with fat. It’s actually kind of amazing. I used mustard powder and nutmeg to season Stovetop Mac & Cheese in the past, so those sounded good again and I also decided to add rubbed sage since it worked so well in the Sausage & Pumpkin Pasta. I also initially tried to make this with goat cheese (because I love it so much) but unfortunately it wasn’t a great match for the dish and the flavor seemed off. Replacing it with sharp cheddar gave it the perfect balance between pumpkin and cheese. This dish is warm, comforting, decadent, creamy, rich and perfect for Fall. I recommend sprinkling a little dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice on your serving before eating it because it enhances the pumpkin-y Autumn flavors even more. Don’t be alarmed, Pumpkin Pie Spice is not sweet and will not interfere with this being a savory dish. To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

If you love mac and cheese and you’re looking for a fun flavor twist for Fall, this dish is for you!

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Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Calories: 313kcal

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is rich and creamy with a fall flavor twist!

Yield: 6 (1 cup) servings

Ingredients

• 12 oz wheat macaroni pasta
• 2 tablespoons light butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 ½ cups skim milk
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Optional Garnish: Pumpkin Pie spice, sprinkled to taste

Instructions

• Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return the past to the pot.
• While step one is happening, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. When butter is melted, add flour and stir together for about one minute. Add the milk. Whisk together until and flour clumps are thoroughly mixed in and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a minute or so until thickened and then stir. Add in pumpkin, salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard powder and sage. Stir together. Add in the cheese and stir until cheese is melted into the sauce and combined.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir together until macaroni is coated. Sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice over each serving and enjoy.

Notes

To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

Nutrition Information:

313 calories, 50 g carbs, 2 g sugars, 9 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 13 g protein, 6 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

MyWW SmartPoints per (1 cup) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Green: 10 SmartPoints/ Blue: 10 SmartPoints/ Purple: 5 SmartPoints

Weight Watchers Points Plus:

9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Author: Emily Bites

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 30 Minute Meal, Fall Flavors, Macaroni and Cheese, Weight Watchers, WW Recipes