You know what one of my favorite products to keep in my pantry at all times is? Pumpkin. Yes. Pumpkin. In the fall, I covet it. Not that you can’t get canned pumpkin year-round, it’s just that sometimes it can be a little hard to come by. I have learned to use it as a substitute for butter and eggs in recipes. It doesn’t change the flavor at all…just makes it healthier.
The same applies to using pumpkin in something like…macaroni and cheese. No need to clean your glasses, you read that right. Pumpkin in pasta. Seems…strange, yes? Well, I’m here to tell you that by using pumpkin you can cut at least 1/2 the fat and calories out of your homemade macaroni and cheese. Sounds too good to be true?
It’s not. And even better…this is a creamy, cheesy delight of a dish. And I have The BrokeAss Gourmet to thank for this amazing recipe. Try it…and see how awesome it is for yourself.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Brown Butter-Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Servings: 4
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 22 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. elbow macaroni, penne, shells or other small pasta shape (I used Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Penne)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter plus more for the pan (I used Smart Balance)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
- 3/4 cup milk (any kind…I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp shredded aged white cheddar cheese (I used Cabot Extra-Sharp White Cheddar)
- dash nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly butter a 2 qt. baking pan or 4 ramekins/oven-proof bowls
Cook macaroni in boiling water according to package directions.
While macaroni cooks, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. As soon as it begins to brown, add the flour and whisk until you have a very sticky dough.
Slowly whisk in the milk to form a creamy white sauce.
Continue whisking as you add the pumpkin and 1/2 cup of the white cheddar. You should have a very creamy orange sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta and return it to its pot. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the sauce over the pasta and stir to coat the pasta evenly.
Scrape the sauced pasta into the prepared pan(s) and top with the reserved cheddar plus more salt and pepper.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cheese is very bubbly and lightly browned on top. Serve hot.
~*~*~
What’s really amazing about this dish is it tastes like cheese, not pumpkin. Honestly, you can’t even tell that pumpkin is a part of it. But it is. And it’s amazing. I made some for my roomie’s aunt and she absolutely raved about it. My roommate is insisting that I make up another batch on the double because she wants more of it. So, I would call this recipe a win.
Go ahead…buy a can of pumpkin and give this pasta a shot. I promise…you won’t just like it. You’ll love it. And your homemade mac & cheese may never be the same again.
Thank you to The BrokeAss Gourmet for this fantastic recipe (which I happily made gluten-free)!
The Celiathlete 