Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese
In a former life, I created a very popular recipe for “Macaroni and Cheese with a Secret” that was wildly popular with my friends and blog followers. The “secret” was a can of pumpkin used to replace most of the cheese that would typically be in a recipe, for the sake of nutrition. Now I’m recreating, simplifying, and quadrupling the meal for the sake of pure deliciousness. Like, I-hadn’t-made-it-in-years-and-I-was-shocked-how-good-it-was type of deliciousness.
First things first, boil a large pot of generously salted water and preheat the oven to 400F. Boiling water and/or preheating the oven should be the first step in any recipe involving those steps, but so often they are buried down lower, slowing the process down and frustrating the cook. Always read recipes first to catch silly anachronisms like that!
If you’re anything like me, when you meal prep, you really meal prep, so I had plenty of other things to do while the water came up to a boil. If you, lucky you, don’t have any chores weighing on you, take that time to gather the remaining ingredients and then put your feet up.
Speaking of, the ingredients you’ll need to gather are a large box of pasta (penne, rotini, elbows, farfalle, and other short pastas work; I prefer the texture of whole wheat but any type of pasta would work), a can of plain pumpkin purée, olive oil, 1 small bag shredded cheddar (or cheese of your choice), a shallot (or half an onion), breadcrumbs, and of course, salt and freshly ground pepper. You will also need a baking dish of sorts- doesn’t matter what material or shape, as long as it can hold the cooked pasta- and a strainer.
Dump the box of pasta in the boiling water. While it cooks, mince the shallot into teeny pieces- no need to be exact.
Typically I wouldn’t hand-make my breadcrumbs, but I had a baguette in the freezer that needed to be evacuated (no food waste in my house!), so I pulsed it in the food processor and toasted it with salt, olive oil, and garlic powder. They were nicely browned by the time the oven had preheated.
Make sure to drain the pasta well before the cooking is over. The only way to know when this occurs is by tasting. Starting about 5 minutes before the recommended cook time on the box, carefully remove a piece from the water and take a bite. If there is still an uncooked, floury ring in the middle and the bite kinda sticks to your teeth, that’s perfect- dump the pasta in the strainer and then back into the empty pot.
Immediately add the shallot and some olive oil and toss to combine. Next, stir in the whole can of pumpkin and most of the cheese, reserving a handful for later. Taste a bit and add salt and pepper to your liking, keeping in mind that pumpkin adds a bit of sweetness that may or may not appeal to you. A little salt will enhance it, and a little more salt will tip the scales in favor of savory over sweet. Could you spruce this up by adding other vegetables, chicken, or herbs and spices? Sure! Let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Put the whole mix in the pan and top evenly with the breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar. Bake for, eh, 20 minutes or so, until the top is brown and the pasta has mostly softened- again, tasting is the only way to know.
The final result should have chewiness from the pasta, creaminess from pumpkin, stringiness from cheese, and crunchiness from the breadcrumbs singing in perfect harmony. It’s a different creature altogether from traditional mac n cheese, but I daresay I prefer it to 99% of the mac n cheese dishes I’ve had before. And if you are tasting consistently throughout the process, you should get the exact balance of salty/savory/sweet that you like.
You could eat this by itself, but I find it pairs nicely with a green salad or a roasted vegetable, which can reside in the oven simultaneously with the mac n cheese. It stores beautifully in tupperware or aluminum foil in the freezer, and microwaves to just-baked perfection in a few minutes for lunch.
One of the absolute best things about meal prepping for work is that I have an excuse to eat my favorite things, like pumpkin and roasted Brussels sprouts, that Hubtastic just can’t stand. If you are missing one of your favorite foods because someone you cook for won’t eat it, consider doing the same and treating yourself at work! This recipe makes about 6 hefty entrée portions, which means I’m all set for a week of comfy indulgence.