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a bowl with the best pumpkin mac and cheese

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

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Healthy pumpkin mac and cheese made with Greek yogurt. PLUS bacon and caramelized onions make this the BEST pumpkin mac and cheese recipe!
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 – 6 servings
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Ingredients
  

  • 4 ounces bacon cooked (4–5 pieces)*
  • 3 teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 2 cups yellow onion thinly sliced (about 1 large)
  • 1 can pumpkin purée (15 ounces)
  • 1 ½ cups nonfat milk
  • 1 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock (if homemade, skim off fat)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 13 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni or other short pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
  • 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
  • ⅓ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup), divided
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions
 

  • Cook the bacon until crisp (try one of my easy methods listed below). Once cool enough to handle, chop into rough pieces and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté just beginning to soften; about 3 minutes.
    sliced onions in a skillet
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook onions until caramelized and tender, stirring occasionally. Let the onions cook for at least 10 additional minutes, or up to 30 minutes as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
    sautéing onions in a skillet
  • In a deep, wide saucepan, combine pumpkin, stock, and milk, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens slightly; about 8 minutes.
    stirring pumpkin puree into milk and broth
  • Remove from heat, then stir in mustard, salt, pepper nutmeg, and cayenne.
    creamy homemade pumpkin pasta sauce for macaroni and cheese
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon kosher salt, then cook just until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, then transfer noodles to a large bowl. Pour pumpkin sauce over the top, then stir in the cheddar, Greek yogurt, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
    Stirring cheese, Greek yogurt, and pumpkin sauce into cooked pasta for pumpkin mac and cheese
  • Fold in all of the caramelized onions and reserved bacon.
    stirring sautéed onions into pumpkin macaroni and cheese in a glass bowl
  • Lightly coat a 9-inch square, deep baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the pumpkin noodle mixture to the dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the noodles.
    A casserole dish of healthy pumpkin mac and cheese ready to be baked
  • Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top; 30 to 35 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • *Easy bacon cooking methods: Oven Baked Bacon or Air Fryer Bacon.
  • TO STORE: Leftover pumpkin mac and cheese may be stored in a covered airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm pumpkin mac and cheese in the microwave, covered, until steaming. Alternatively, you may rewarm the mac and cheese in a 350 degree F oven until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 24gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgPotassium: 571mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 11401IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 343mgIron: 4mg
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