Easy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe

If you ever have leftover pumpkin from making pumpkin pie for the holidays, you might wonder to yourself, what can I do to use it up? I was in the exact position a few weeks ago and decided to search for a mac and cheese recipe that incorporates pumpkin so I could use up my leftover canned pumpkin!

I found a recipe to my liking called "Easy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese" by Inspired Taste so I gave it a try in hopes of a successful cheesy lunch.

Easy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce box uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni as directed on package. (Usually between 7 and 10 minutes). I added some random broccoli to spruce it up. :P

2. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. 

3. Stir in flour and cook while stirring, 1 minute. 

4. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Place back onto heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer and stir 1 minute until thickened.

5. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard and pumpkin puree. Add 2 cups of cheese then cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

6. Drain macaroni. Add macaroni into cheese sauce and stir until coated.

7. You could serve the macaroni and cheese now, or bake in the oven with extra cheese. To bake in the oven, pour into a 3-quart casserole dish then top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

I served it as is and didn't bake it in a casserole dish. 

This recipe was incredibly easy to follow so I really enjoyed it. The end product was creamy, savoury, and surprisingly didn't taste very pumpkin-y! With that being said, this recipe would be great for parents trying to sneak some veggies in their child's diet. 

Tis the season and Happy Eating!