Meatless Monday – Jess’s Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

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Comfort food doesn’t get much more cheesy or delicious than Jess’s Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese. 

The reader recipes never disappoint and Jess’s Mac and Cheese with value added pumpkin is no exception. When Jess posted a picture of this winner dinner on Facebook way back in March, I knew I had to add it to my reader recipe repertoire, so big thanks to Jess for sharing such delicious.

Of course, we’ve had a thoroughly tasty time all these months testing out this recipe, first on the stove and then on the Thermomix. This recipe yields enough for 2 batches of sauce, so I usually use one for now and freeze one for later. Of course, if you’re feeding a crowd, just double the pasta in this recipe, use all the sauce and you’re all set.

The Thermomix conversion wasn’t the only thing I tweaked… As I don’t think there is such a thing as too much cheese,I like to add a bit extra cheese on top and then finish the Macaroni and Cheese off in the oven. That’s just personal preference though, if you’re tight for time, you can do as Jess does, serve the macaroni with the sauce stirred through –  it will still be a taste sensation. 

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I love a bit of veggie smuggling, I really do, especially when it’s smuggled into some bona fide comfort food. Honestly, no one will taste the difference but you will know that you’ve given the dish a bit of a nutritional boost.

I love pumpkin, I really do but cutting it and cooking it can be quite a chore. Often times, I’ve had proper blisters after pumpkin wrestling, nearly chopped finger/s off and always make a mess of the kitchen. Not anymore though,  thanks to Not Quite Nigella, I now know the best best pumpkin hack ever and I don’t say that lightly! Simply pierce the pumpkin twice with a sharp knife and pop the whole pumpkin on a lined baking tray in a preheated 180C oven for about 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Ta-da! When the pumpkin is tender, simply cut it open and scoop out the seeds and the flesh. It’s such a game changer! It certainly makes roasting the pumpkin for this recipe easy peasy or should I say easy cheesy?

Know any good kitchen hacks? Are you a pumpkin fan too?

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Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

200-250g macaroni
1 cup (250g) steamed/roasted pureed pumpkin
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
200g grated cheddar cheese (plus extra 50g for topping, optional)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

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How to – Traditional

  1. Put water on to boil on high. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. When water comes to a boil add 1 teaspoon of salt and the macaroni noodles. Bring the heat down to medium high.
    Cook until somewhere between al dente and soft. Set aside.
  3. In large frying pan add butter and olive oil to medium high heat. When the butter has melted add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally; then add the garlic and stir for one minute.
  4. Turn off the heat and coat the onion mixture in flour until the onion and garlic look like they have been coated in a light paste.
  5. Turn the heat back onto medium high and add the milk. Stir continuously until the milk thickens into a sauce. If the sauce starts bubbling turn the heat down to medium so that you do not curdle the milk. Immediately after the milk starts to thicken into a sauce add 200g cheese, pumpkin, mustard and smoked paprika, salt and pepper and stir in completely. Taste test it to see if you have added enough salt and pepper to your liking. Take off the heat.
  6. Add half the sauce to the noodles, and freeze the other half of the sauce for an easy meal next time. 
  7. You can serve the macaroni and cheese as is but if you like an oven baked cheesy topping, transfer the noodles with sauce to a lightly greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with 50g grated cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

How to – Thermomix

  1. Put water on to boil on high. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. When water comes to a boil add 1 teaspoon of salt and the macaroni noodles. Bring the heat down to medium high.
    Cook until somewhere between al dente and soft. Set aside. 
  3. Cut cheese into cubes and grate for 8 seconds  on speed 7. Set aside. Wash and dry the bowl.
  4. Place onion and garlic in TM bowl and chose for 5 seconds  on speed 7.  Scrape down sides of bowl.
  5. Add the oil and butter and cook for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.
  6. Add the flour, milk, mustard and smoked paprika and cook for 7 minutes at 90C on speed 3.
  7. Add 200g cheese and the pumpkin and mix for a further 2 minutes at 90C on speed 2.
  8. Add half the sauce to the noodles, and freeze the other half of the sauce for an easy meal next time.
  9. You can serve the macaroni and cheese as is but if you like an oven baked cheesy topping, transfer the noodles with sauce to a lightly greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with 50g grated cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

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