Welcome to my recipe, where I’m supposed to share some profound backstory about how cheese represents the liquid gold of my Midwest roots, blended with the soul of Italian-inspired noodles, but let’s be real, no one has time for that. Instead, just scroll down for the recipe – no pictures yet, maybe someday when I become a full-on food blogger and Mac n’ Cheese Maven. Enjoy!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Serves
6 or 16?
Not here to tell you how to live your life.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs paprika
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
- 1/4 tbs cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tbs salt
- 2 tbs butter
- 3 tbs gluten-free 1-1 flour (my favorite)
- 1 tbs nutritional yeast
- 2 tbs dijon mustard
- 1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup of baked pumpkin or 1/2 can of pumpkin puree
- 1 block of cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup of pepperjack
- 2 boxes of Banza gluten-free cavatappi pasta
Steps
1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Start by boiling a salted pot of water for the noodles. Don’t bother staring at it—it won’t boil any faster. While you wait, mix together your spices: garlic, onion, paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper. By the time you’re done, the water should be ready to go!
2
In a large pan, melt the butter on low heat and stir in half of the spice mix. If you’re feeling ambitious and using fresh pumpkin, it should already be cooked and pureed—because nobody’s got time for that mid-recipe!
3
Sprinkle in the flour to make a roux—that’s just a fancy word for a thick paste you’ll spend the next few minutes smoothing out. Don’t forget to keep an eye on that boiling water while you’re at it!
4
Boil the noodles if the water is ready—cut one minute from the cook time to keep them extra al dente since we’re baking this beast later. And don’t forget to keep an eye on that pot—no one wants a starchy boil-over!
5
Back to the sauce! With your roux ready, slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and regular milk, making sure there are no lumps. Then stir in the pumpkin puree, nutritional yeast, and Dijon mustard.
6
Now toss in half of that glorious cheese mound and stir until it’s all melted. Then, add your perfectly cooked al dente noodles and mix it all together like you’re making cheesy dreams come true.
7
In a large baking dish (something long and flat, I don’t know measurements, just go with your gut here), spread half of your mac ‘n cheese, then sprinkle half of the leftover cheese on top. Add the rest of the mac ‘n cheese, and top it off with the remaining cheese.
7
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes—keep a fork nearby to defend your dish from any kitchen gremlins trying to steal bites before it’s baked to perfection!
