I made this pumpkin mac and cheese at home and I was really happy about it. It’s another recipe that makes me feel a little less guilty of serving because of the pumpkin. I didn’t tell my husband what’s on it, but he immediately knew something was up on the first bite. He didn’t make a huge fuss out of it though. Just like our sons, he simply finished his first serving and politely asked for another without staring at me. It’s a give away that he truly loved it!
Check out what our friends over at The Cookie Rookie have to say about this recipe:
“Baked Pumpkin Bacon Mac and Cheese is the ULTIMATE comfort food for Fall! Autumn in a casserole dish. Loaded with cheese, bacon, pumpkin, sage, and more cheese. BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE EVER!”
I will always be partial to my Mom’s and my own version of macaroni and cheese, however I will never deny the fact that this version is one of the best. Pumpkin has really done a good job in making this special that you won’t be able to say no to this.
Ingredients
- 8 slices Hormel bacon
- 4 cups Barilla elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes butter
- 4 tablespoons Gold Medal all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Morton salt
- 1 tablespoon McCormick pepper
- 1 teaspoon McCormick garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups Friendly Farms 2% Milk
- 1 1/2 cups Borden heavy cream
- 2 cups Belgioioso shredded fontina cheese
- 1 (15 ounce) can Libby’s pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped. (plus more for garnish)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Sargento grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Bertolli olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place bacon on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until very crispy. Allow to drain on a paper towel and then crumble into small pieces. Set aside.
- When done with the bacon, switch the oven to 350F.
- In a medium/large saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. Once fully melted, add the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir (constantly) to combine.
- Pour in the milk and cream slowly, whisking constantly while you add. Allow to thicken, continuing to stir, until bubbly.
- Add in the cheese one cup at a time, stirring to melt before adding the second cup. Stir in the pumpkin and sage.
- Remove from the heat and pour over the cooked pasta, stirring to combine. Stir in the bacon crumbles, reserving some for garnish if desired.
- In a separate small bowl, combine panko, parmesan, and olive oil.
- Pour the macaroni into a large baking dish, pressing down slightly with your spoon to make the top level.
- Pour the panko mixture over the noodles, covering the entire top. Sprinkle with extra sage if desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until everything is hot and bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden and toasted.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Quick Tip: Serve this with a side dish of salad and with bread.
Thanks again to The Cookie Rookie for this amazing recipe.
