One-Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Active Time
35 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Most people associate pumpkin with pies, cakes, and other sweets, but its earthy flavor makes an equally welcome addition to many savory recipes. Here canned pumpkin lends its rich orange color, subtle sweetness, and luscious texture to a simple one-pot mac and cheese. Unlike most mac and cheese recipes, this version isn’t made with a roux and the pasta is cooked directly in the pan (no need for draining), making it a quick weeknight recipe that comes together in no time. The secret to achieving the perfect texture without having to go through all of the traditional steps is in the details: For starters, the grated cheese gets tossed in cornstarch and added to evaporated milk (a clever trick I borrowed from J. Kenji Lopéz-Alt’s method for making cheese sauce) to produce a perfectly velvety sauce. The evaporated milk has less water content, making for a smoother sauce that is less prone to breaking. Finishing the mac and cheese under the broiler creates a crispy brown top, while a sprinkling of fresh thyme rounds out the autumnal flavors. It’s an impressive and comforting weeknight pasta that leaves you with just one pot to wash.
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What you’ll need
Rondeau
$150 At Amazon
Aluminum Foil
$7 $4 At Amazon
Silicone Spatula
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
6–8 servings
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 350°. Toss together 12 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about 3 cups), and 8 oz. Gruyère, coarsely grated (2–3 cups), in a large bowl with your hands. Add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and toss again until each piece of cheese is thoroughly coated. Set cheese mixture aside.
Step 2
Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large (14-cup capacity or more) high-sided ovenproof skillet, rondeau, or short pot over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have any of those options, you can use a large Dutch oven.) Add 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped thyme, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 4½ cups water and bring to a simmer. Add 1 lb. lumache (snail shells) or other medium shell pasta and cook, stirring often to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of skillet, until about two thirds of liquid has been absorbed and pasta is very al dente, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce heat to low and stir one 12-oz. can evaporated milk, 2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg into pasta. Add reserved cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until mostly melted before adding more. Remove pan from heat and stir in one 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin purée. Taste and season with more salt if needed. (If you used a Dutch oven, transfer pasta to an ovenproof baking dish.)
Step 4
Top mac and cheese with remaining 6 oz. Gruyère, coarsely grated (1–2 cups), and tightly cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes.
Step 5
Heat broiler. Uncover and broil just until top is browned, 2–6 minutes, depending on your broiler. (Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.) Let cool slightly, then top with thyme leaves.
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Reviews (0)
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amg
chicago
10/4/2023
for being a one pot recipe this really hits the nail on the head! was an easy weeknight dinner- however i felt it was a little bland so added more garlic and some chopped sage and served it with a caramelized shallot jam. definitely making this again with some edits in mind
Anonymous
portland OR
10/17/2023
The Idea is good and the The vinegar is overpowering. In my opinion the broth is unusable. The beans were good, I salvaged them.
Emily
San Francisco, ca
10/14/2023
Easy to make and warms up well the next day. For the leftovers, I just added some shredded Mozzarella on top. Delicious the first day and the next.
Sue
Victoria, BC
10/14/2023
Amazing! Will definitely make this again. I cut the recipe in half cause it was just feeding two of us. I didn’t too the Mac with as much cheese as the recipe called for- we love cheese but seemed like too much for us. The pumpkin doesn’t overpower (my picky son didn’t notice at all) but it gives a beautiful color to the mac!
Anonymous
10/12/2023
This recipe had much more sauce than I thought it needed for the amount of pasta. Next time I would halve the sauce or double the pasta. I added two cans of white beans to try and fill it out, and it still wasn’t enough. Also, the pumpkin adds a nice color, but you can’t really taste it. Still, the texture of the sauce was great. I like the method of cooking the pasta in the same pot with the sauce, and the evaporated milk/corn starch thing.
Anonymous
10/10/2023
This recipe was easy to follow and yielded a delicious result. I pride myself on my own go-to mac and cheese recipe, but I like to play around in the kitchen when I’m able, so using this evaporated milk/corn starch method was a fun experiment. The description isn’t exaggerating…it really does yield a perfectly luscious, velvety sauce. If there are any improvements to make, I’d say the only one might be to add a crushed cracker or crouton topping for a little added texture. Otherwise, a really great recipe. Would definitely make again.
Talkingseeds
10/10/2023
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