Description
Comforting, cozy homemade mac and cheese made with pumpkin, “real” breadcrumbs and bacon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. pasta (I used cavatappi)
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 ounces room temperature cream cheese
- 8 ounces pure pumpkin puree
- 3 cups freshly shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and mozzarella)
- 4 ounces crusty french bread
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions. While it is boiling, start on the cheese sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Continue cooking and whisking for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth.
- Cook the mixture, stirring frequently until it bubbles gently and thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the onion powder, salt, white pepper, cream cheese, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
- Add shredded cheese.
- Whisk until the cheese is melted into the sauce.
- Remove from heat.
- Pour the cheese sauce into the drained pasta and stir well.
- Pour the pasta into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
- Use a food processor or blender to pulse the bread into course crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the pasta, and place under the broiler, watching closely until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven and allow the mac and cheese to set for a few minutes.
- Top with bacon and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 2.7g
- Sodium: 779mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.7g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2.2g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 88mg