Golden, velvety, and edged with a gentle smoky heat, this Pumpkin-Chipotle Mac and Cheese tastes like autumn comfort in a bowl-and it’s on the table in about 30 minutes.
It began the way so many good recipes do: with odds and ends pulled from the fridge. A spoonful of pumpkin purée, a splash of cream, the last of can of chipotles. A nub of cheddar, a streak of mustard. Nothing planned-just a hodge-podge of ingredients coming together in the pan.
And somehow, it worked. More than worked, really. It became one of those dishes that you make once, then find yourself craving again. Silky and rich, this pumpkin mac and cheese outshines the stuff in the box, with a gentle smoky heat and rich autumn flavor.
Why You’ll Love It
There’s no roux. Instead, a little bit of arrowroot starch helps to bind the ingredients together, making a super-creamy and smooth sauce.
Pumpkin purée gives the mac-and-cheese a brilliant orange color-like packaged mac-and-cheese but without all the creepy additives.
You cook everything on the stove, so it comes together in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients + Substitutes
Macaroni gives the dish its heart. Choose shapes that cradle sauce well, like elbows or little shells. I lean on whole-wheat pasta here for its nuttiness and added fiber.
Cheddar cheese is classic, but you can branch out. Smoked gouda deepens the flavor, Monterey Jack softens it, and a mix of cheeses makes the sauce especially rich.
A spoonful of arrowroot starch keeps the pumpkin, cream, and cheese silky-smooth (cornstarch works, too).
Heavy cream brings lushness, while half-and-half makes for a lighter, looser sauce.
Chipotles in adobo pair pumpkin’s sweetness with gentle smoke and heat, while Dijon mustard adds a sharp, salty edge and also helps hold the sauce together.
How to Serve It
I like to serve this pumpkin-chipotle mac and cheese with a big green salad for lunch, or another veg-heavy option such as this bell pepper and citrus salad in the summer or celery and apple salad in the cooler months.
It’s also good to take along to potlucks or serve as a side dish to a larger meal.
Love this recipe? There’s more.
Join Nourished Kitchen+ for ad-free browsing, nourishing monthly meal plans, live workshops, and access to all our premium downloads.
Recipe Questions
You don’t need to. This recipe is designed to be made on the stove, with the sauce and macaroni stirred together.
If you still prefer to bake it, then shorten the cook time on the pasta by a minute or two, combine everything into
Store it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
No. The sauce breaks and does not freeze well.