This recipe is great! First of all, you can use any pasta you might have on-hand. Now that I am using pumpkin in more and more in recipes, I have started keeping a little stash of canned pumpkin puree in my pantry.

Secondly, it is very versatile, because you can cook it up on your stove top in about 30 minutes. But you can also put it in a casserole dish after you have cooked it, cover it with panko breadcrumbs and create a delicious casserole. The recipe makes a large quantity, so you can have it both ways from just one preparation. The night I made it, my neighbors and their two teenaged sons came over for dinner. They devoured every last macaroni elbow!

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. macaroni pasta (16 oz.)

2 cups milk (I used 2%)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup to 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs if making into a casserole

 

INSTRUCTIONS

On The Stove Top

In a large pot, cook macaroni according to package instructions and drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot add milk, butter and flour. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes while stirring until butter is melted and mixture is slightly thickened.

Add cheddar cheese and pumpkin to milk mixture, and whisk until melted.

Pour cheese mixture over the drained pasta and mix until evenly coated. Top with salt and pepper.

Can serve as is at this point or proceed to casserole instructions.

If making into a casserole

Pour desired amount of mac and cheese into a casserole dish (see notes) and top with panko. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes until bread crumbs are toasted. Option to finish cooking time with a few minutes under the broiler for extra browning, but be sure to keep an eye on it!

Recipe Notes

If turning entire batch of macaroni into a casserole, you will need at least a 13 inch casserole dish and up to 1/2 cup panko. I like to turn leftovers into a casserole, so I used about 5 cups macaroni in a 9 inch dish, with 1/3 cup panko.

5 cups macaroni in a 9 inch dish, with 1/3 cup panko.

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Quick Tip:  When cooking your macaroni, add a few drops of oil and some salt to the water. This will keep your macaroni from sticking together.

Recipe courtesy of Kelly at Trial and Eater, image courtesy of pbs.org