You're Only One Canned Ingredient Away From Gooey Pumpkin Mac And Cheese

It's hard to resist a platter of warm, gooey macaroni and cheese — especially when it's piled high with a crunchy topping, like it is in our simple mac and cheese recipe. But no matter how warming and filling this dish can be, we can't help but admit that it has a tendency to taste a bit boring and rudimentary sometimes. Luckily, there are tons of tasty additions that you can mix into your mac and cheese – but there's one that stands above the rest. Pumpkin puree is the simple ingredient that will add a delectable fall twist to your mac and cheese recipe. 

Its flavor is subtly sweet, which is not a flavor profile that most mac and cheese recipes usually take on. Moreover, the bright orange hue of the squash will add another dimension of color to your pasta. You can add canned pumpkin puree to a slow cooker homemade mac and cheese recipe or use it to upgrade a boxed mac and cheese. Simply add a cup or so of the puree to your cheese sauce while it's cooking down to infuse it with a bright autumnal flavor and delectable orange hue. Pumpkin is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as the antioxidant beta carotene, so you'll be giving this classic pasta dish a nutritional boost, too.

When it comes to choosing your squash, a can of store-bought pumpkin puree (also called canned pumpkin) works just fine. But if you'd like to try your hand at making it from scratch, here's a tip for making sure that the consistency of your pumpkin puree is just right. And adding pumpkin to your mac and cheese sauce is just the start. The subtly sweet flavor of the squash is the perfect springboard to experimenting with other additions, too. For example, instead of adding butter to your recipe, consider swapping it out with brown butter instead. The slightly hazelnut flavor and aroma from the toasted milk solids would be a great pairing for the pumpkin puree; it will make your recipe smell and taste much more complex. 

Pumpkin puree can be added to either a baked mac and cheese or a stovetop-only recipe. We're partial to sliding this dish into the oven, as the heat will caramelize some of the sugars in the puree and really heighten its sweetness. You could also hit your mac and cheese with some herbs and spices, such as sage and thyme, to add a fresh, herby flavor that minimizes the heaviness of the rich cheese sauce and thick pumpkin puree. Pair it with some crunchy Ritz cracker breadcrumbs and you have a fall-flavored dish that's a perfect fit for your weeknight table or even your Thanksgiving spread.