Get your fall on with this pumpkin mac and cheese! It combines real pumpkin with a simple mac and cheese recipe for the ultimate meal.
Easy Fall Mac and Cheese Recipe
Looking to add a fall seasonal veggie to your mac and cheese recipe? Look no further than this roasted pumpkin mac and cheese recipe!
We peeled and cubed a pie pumpkin and tossed it in warm spices and then roasted it until perfection. The base of the mac and cheese is made with macaroni noodles, shredded cheese, and cream for a simple, yet delightful meal.
Why you’ll love it!
- Fall mac and cheese
- Uses real pumpkin
- Perfect for a weeknight meal or holiday side
- Kid-friendly
Featured Ingredients
- Roasted pumpkin: this pumpkin mac and cheese recipe calls for a real pumpkin! To add flavor we roasted our pie pumpkin in olive oil and warm spices.
- Macaroni noodles: feel free to use any kind of noodle you wish, but we kept it classic with macaroni noodles.
- Shredded cheese: we used shredded cheddar cheese and Gruyere.
- Heavy cream: heavy cream adds richness and creaminess.
Don’t have pumpkin?
Don’t have access to pumpkin, but want to make something similar. Try using one of the following root veggies instead:
- Sweet potato
- Butternut squash
How to Make Panera Mac and Cheese
Roast Pumpkin
Place the cubed pumpkin onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with garlic, paprika, nutmeg, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the pumpkin.
Roast the cubed pumpkin at 425ºF for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Boil Noodles
While the pumpkin is roasting, follow the direction on the back of your noodle package to cook your noodles until al dente. Once fully cooked, strain the noodles.
Add the Cheese
Add the heavy cream, to the noodles and turn the heat back on to low. Then, add the shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is fully melted.
Add the Pumpkin
Finally, toss in the roasted pumpkin and mix to combine everything together. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
Store leftover pumpkin mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pie pumpkin peeled and cubed (~4 cups)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese ~1 cup
- 4 oz. shredded gruyere cheese ~1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Place the cubed pumpkin, olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, nutmeg, thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt, and cracked pepper onto a baking sheet. Toss together so that the pumpkin is completely coated in all of the ingredients. Bake for 10 minutes, Toss and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Set aside.
- While the pumpkin is baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the noodles according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and return to the pot.
- Add the heavy cream to the noodles and turn the heat to low.
- Add the cheeses to the noodles and stir until melted.
- Remove from the heat and add the roasted pumpkin. Toss all the ingredients together and serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- The longer you keep the mix on the stove the thicker the sauce will get. You could return the noodles to the pot and add the cream and cheese without heating, resulting in a thinner sauce.
- You could use just about any squash in this recipe, with the exception of spaghetti.
