Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Give your mac and cheese a seasonal twist! My first attempt in making the pumpkin mac and cheese was a bit disappointing as the final result was plain and missing a kick. Second attempt was huge success after adding onion powder and cayenne pepper to taste. The addition of pumpkin puree can help retain consistency, richness and color while you can reduce the amount of cheese in the recipe. This is a healthy option of mac and cheese while you will not have a feeling that you are eating "healthy" boring food. 

Recipe adopted from InspiredTaste.net

Servings: 4

Ingredients

8-ounce uncooked shell pasta

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tbsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp butter

½ -1 tbsp onion powder

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al dente as directed on package.

3) While cooking pasta, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in milk and add flour while the milk is warm. Keep stirring until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard, cayenne pepper, onion powder, pumpkin puree and cheese.

4) Drain pasta. Add the pasta into the cheese sauce once the cheese is all melted. Stir until coated.

5)  To make the bread crumb toppings: Combine the bread crumbs and onion powder, then use your finger to rub the butter into the bread crumbs.

6) Pour mac and cheese into an ungreased casserole dish and top with the bread crumb toppings. Bake uncovered 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.