Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Creamy, cheesy, and secretly healthy pumpkin mac and cheese.

I’ve probably mentioned more than once on this blog how much I love macaroni and cheese.

I grew up on my Italian grandmother’s homemade version (seriously the best comfort food ever), and I also really loved both Velveeta and Kraft Mac and Cheese. My dad would make it with extra milk so there was twice as much cheese sauce, and I called it “cheese soup.”

It was one of my favorite Sunday lunches.

Also Try This Cauliflower Mac And Cheese

More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Pumpkin Cupcakes – Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Workout Brownies

For as long as I can remember, I have always chosen pasta over everything else.

Even when I’d find myself at a steak or seafood restaurant as a child, my first move would be to scan the menu for mac and cheese.

(Outback Steakhouse makes a surprisingly good mac and cheese. Who knew?!)

Secretly Healthy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese Recipe

Healthy Pumpkin Mac And Cheese

In this healthier take on mac and cheese, pumpkin stands in for the heavy cream, cutting way back on the calories and fat while giving you over 200% of your daily requirement for Vitamin A!

There are just 6 ingredients needed to make the sauce, and you can put it over anything you wish – pasta, rice, veggies, spaghetti squash (see how to cook spaghetti squash), quinoa—or eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon.

Easy Creamy Pumpkin Mac And Cheese Recipe

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

*Or try this pumpkin-free version: Vegan Mac And Cheese

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Total Time: 15m

Yield: About 3 cups sauce

5/5

Ingredients

2 cups pureed pumpkin or roasted butternut squash
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt, plus more if desired
2 tbsp butter spread (such as Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light) OR 2 tbsp olive oil and a little extra salt if needed
1 cup milk of choice
1 cup shredded cheese (such as Follow Your Heart or Daiya) OR 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
whatever you wish to go with your sauce (macaroni, quinoa, spaghetti squash, rice, veggies, etc.)

Instructions

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe: Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a complete boil. Lower the heat, and stir until the buttery spread and shredded cheddar melt completely. I add a little extra salt, but taste and season to your preference. Sauce thickens as it cools and is much thicker the next day. Makes about 3 cups sauce. I cooked 8 oz dry macaroni for this recipe.

View Nutrition Facts

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