Welp, this was inevitable 😂. It's getting chilly outside, the leaves are turning beautiful colors, and I'm in the mood for some serious comfort food...with an autumn twist. Obviously. Ergo, one pot pumpkin mac and cheese!
One Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
My favorite thing about this recipe? It's all done in just one pot. You don't even need to cook the macaroni noodles separately! All on the stove, in a dutch oven or large stock pot. That's it!
Second favorite thing? It only takes 20 minutes start to finish. 🙌🏻 20 🙌🏻 minutes🙌🏻!
Third and final favorite thing? It's mac and cheese, and it's got pumpkin 😍. I'm just gunna leave it at that. Scroll down for the recipe!
One Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Description
An autumn twist on the classic comfort dish, this creamy fall flavored mac and cheese is done in only one pot all on the stove in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose, unbleached flour
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ cup gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- Fresh parsley and sage, roughly chopped for garnish
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to turn golden.
- Slowly pour in the water, milk, and pumpkin puree, whisking until smooth.
- Stir in all spices and elbow macaroni. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. Maintain the simmer but stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook 8-9 minutes, until pasta is al dente (do not overcook pasta!).
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses until melted and smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sage. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Lola says
Hello, this Mac and cheese looks incredibly cheesy and creamy! Do you think it would still work out with less cheese? Five and a half cups just seems like a lot. Thanks...
Linda says
Holy moly, this is good! I used a whole can of pumpkin, no Gruyère (didn’t have any) and 3 cups cheddar. Rich creamy sauce! So good!
Aberdeen says
Thank you so much!