Spooky Chef Mac & Cheese

Turn up the spook factor and sneak in some nutrition with our creamy, spooky Mac & Cheese! This delicious recipe hides two secret veggies—pumpkin and chickpeas—making it a frightfully tasty treat your family will love.
Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available seasonally right here in North Iowa! Click on select ingredients to find them nearby or stop by your local farmer’s market.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 654 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup pie pumpkin* pureed, homemade or from a can
  • 12 oz bow tie pasta
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3.5 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour or GF flour of choice
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar shredded
  • 1/4 cup gouda shredded
  • salt + pepper
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs optional
  • 1 16 oz chickpeas whole or pureed, optional
  • 2 cloves garlic* minced, optional
  • 1.5 tbsp thyme* optional
  • 3 drops black food coloring optional

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin puree, chickpeas (whole or pureed, optional), and thyme if using. Set aside.
  • Bring a large heavily salted pot of water to a boil. Add black food coloring if using. Cook noodles until al dente. Drain pasta but reserve some pasta water. Set aside.
  • Make a roux: Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add garlic if using. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk together. Cook 2-3 minutes, avoid dark browning.
  • Whisk in pumpkin/milk mixture. Allow mixture to thicken at a simmer, about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Remove from heat and gradually stir in cheese. Letting each addition of cheese melt before adding the next.
  • Return to low heat and gently stir pasta into sauce. Add pasta water here for desired thickness of sauce.
  • Top with panko, if using, and can brown under the broiler if desired.

Notes

The black food coloring is only for dying the pasta black. You can leave it out, or use another color if you prefer.
Photo and Food Styling by Sierra Buchholz.

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 27gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 1417mgPotassium: 1128mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 7195IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 729mgIron: 5mg
Keyword cheese, chickpeas, garlic, halloween, pumpkin