This Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the fall comfort food you've been dreaming of, featuring a velvety pumpkin cheese sauce and an irresistible bacon-sage breadcrumb topping that'll have you scraping the bottom of the dish. Made with straightforward ingredients but rich in flavor, this mac and cheese is perfect for autumn dinner parties, Thanksgiving sides, or anytime you're craving a cozy meal that delivers on both comfort and sophistication. Ready in about an hour with minimal hands-on time!
I'm hardly a food purist, but I typically would have drawn the line at messing too much with classic baked mac and cheese. Let alone by adding pumpkin - It sounded like the kind of "creative" twist that degrades perfectly good comfort food. But sometimes the most delicious foods break all the rules.
I fell in love with baked pumpkin mac n cheese after my friend Komal contributed it to our Friendsgiving years ago. I know very well that Komal is a certified culinary genius, and - if I'm honest - that's probably the only reason I decided to give the dish a shot. I spooned it onto my plate hesitantly, took an apprehensive bite, and immediately had my mind blown. It was cheesy, rich, smoky, nutty... the perfect - and I do mean perfect - seasonal side dish.
There was plenty of amazing food in the spread that night, but people just kept sneaking back for seconds and thirds of Komal's dish. And although I started off skeptical, I was leading the fan club by the end of the evening.
This recipe is my tribute to that dish. With creamy pumpkin, three kinds of cheese, crispy fried sage, and a bacon-infused breadcrumb topping, this recipe is truly special. Perfect for autumn entertaining, holiday side dishes, or just when you need a bowl of pure comfort that'll have everyone asking for the recipe!
Trust me - any doubt you have about doctoring up your mac and cheese will disappear faster than the leftovers.
The secret's in the sauce
Extraordinary macaroni and cheese is about more than just using as much cheese as humanly possible. It's about building layers of flavor in the sauce that complement each other, and knowing how much to use of each ingredient to get the right texture. In this recipe, the addition of pumpkin adds richness, nuttiness, and body to the sauce. (Don't worry, it's subtle. Your mac and cheese won't taste like pumpkin pie!) Meanwhile, the smoked paprika and touch of nutmeg enhance the pumpkin's natural flavor while keeping the dish firmly in savory territory.
🧀 Cheese Choice Matters! ⇢ While it might be tempting to swap out cheeses, the sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and mozzarella combo is carefully chosen. The cheddar brings the classic mac and cheese flavor you crave, while the smoked gouda adds a complex depth that pairs perfectly with the bacon and sage. A little mozzarella goes a long way to create cheese pulls with each scoop and forkful.
The perfect crispy topping
Not all mac n cheeses require a breadcrumb topping, but this one is special. By toasting the panko and chopped sage in the leftover bacon fat (and of course also incorporating plenty of actual chopped bacon), so much deep, smoky flavor and crunchy texture is added to the recipe. It's one of those little details that make all the difference, and it really balances this pumpkin mac.
Tips for success
Want to make sure your mac and cheese turns out perfectly? Here are some crucial tips:
- Don't Overcook the Pasta: Cooking it a few minutes shy of al dente is crucial – it'll continue cooking in the oven, and few things ruin a great mac n cheese like mushy, falling-apart pasta.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your milk and cheese come to room temperature before starting. This helps create a smoother sauce without any graininess.
- Gradual Cheese Addition: Add the cheese to your sauce gradually, stirring constantly off the heat. This prevents the sauce from becoming grainy or breaking.
- Trust Your Gut and Taste Test: Don't be shy with the seasonings. The pasta will absorb some of the flavor, so taste and adjust before baking. The same goes for the amount of milk! Depending on how long you cook your roux and sauce mixture, you may need to add extra milk (just a tablespoon or two at a time) to keep the right consistency for coating all of the pasta.
Make it ahead of time
One of the best things about this recipe is how well it works for entertaining. You can:
- Prepare the entire dish up to the baking step, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours
- Make the breadcrumb topping in advance and store in an airtight container
- Reheat leftovers with a splash of milk to restore the creamy texture
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta - I used lumache (AKA "shellbows")
- Fresh sage leaves
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups whole milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 12 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta in salted water until just barely al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than package instructions). Drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, chop 2 tablespoons of the fresh thyme leaves and add to a heat-safe bowl with the panko breadcrumbs.
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon, reserving the bacon grease. Pour bacon grease over the bowl of panko breadcrumbs and chopped sage. Stir to combine, mix in the chopped bacon, and set aside.
- Clean out the pot that was used for frying the bacon. Then melt butter in the pot over medium-low heat and fry 10-12 sage leaves in the butter until crisp. Remove sage and set aside.
- Add the flour to the sage flavored butter and whisk for 1 minute to create a roux.
- Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add pumpkin puree, most of the cheddar, smoked gouda, and mozzarella (reserving a few handfuls), smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Remove the cheese sauce from heat and add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the pasta fully with the cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings or add milk (a tablespoon at a time) to thin, if necessary.
- Layer the mac and cheese in the baking dish. First, add a layer of pasta and sauce, then sprinkle over some of the reserved cheese, then repeat until the pasta and shredded cheese have all been added.
- Top with the bacon-sage breadcrumb mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and top with the fried sage and continue to bake for 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
- Let cool for 5 minutes to set before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Leave a Reply