Pumpkin Macaroni Cheese
Macaroni cheese is a classic comfort food for the family. Its an easy dish to add a nutritional twist with the addition of hidden vegetables like cauliflower, pumpkin/squash, and carrots in the sauce. The creamy and cheesy mac and cheese is the perfect way to sneak in some extra vitamins and minerals without sacrificing flavour.
Keep it simple if you are introducing solids or your child is a picky eater or you can top with extra vegies to give it an extra nutritious boost.
🎃 Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin or Squash
1-1.5 pumpkin, butternut squash, buttercup squash, peeled, cut into wedges.
2 tbsp Olive oil
Seasoning (optional)
Pumpkin Macaroni Cheese Sauce
230g Pumpkin purée, homemade
470ml Milk of your choice
30g Flour
55g Butter
1tsp Dijon mustard
250g Extra mature cheddar
Seasoning (optional)
450g Wholemeal pasta
Optional Kale
Roasted pumpkin
Method
To roast the pumpkin or squash, preheat the oven to 180oC. Arrange the pumpkin in a large, shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
To make the pumpkin puree add 500g of the roasted pumpkin to a food processor and blitz until a smooth paste. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water to loosen.
For the pasta, bring a large pan of water to boil and cook the pasta as directed on the packaging.
To make the sauce, melt butter in a separate large pan, once melted add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the milk, and continue whisking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Season and add mustard.
Add the pumpkin purée and 3/4 of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
For Simple pumpkin Macaroni Cheese
Mix the cooked pasta with the warm sauce in a baking dish, top with the remaining grated cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
Kale and pumpkin topped, macaroni cheese
To add some more veggies for you and your family you can top with chunks of roasted pumpkin and raw kale, sprinkle the remaining cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
Enjoy!