A healthy twist on the comfort food classic, your entire family will love this baked mac and cheese with pumpkin.
Friends, if you saw how much pasta my 2 year old consumed in 15 minutes you would think he had never tasted mac and cheese before.
Oh wait.
Enough about that… this pasta dish is the bees knees. It is the best of both worlds: it satisfies your craving for warm and hearty comfort food but doesn’t leave you feeling like you just ate two sticks of butter. In fact, there is absolutely no butter in this dish at all. You can thank me the next time you’re in the fitting room trying on jeans.
Here is how I turned this traditionally rich and caloric dish into a healthy, every-day type of luxury:
- Eliminate White Pasta: By using whole wheat pasta instead of bleached white-flour pasta you not only add vitamins and nutrients but you incorporate protein and fiber which helps keep you satisfied. White pasta, on the other hand, is basically like eating pure sugar. We have ice cream for that.
- Boost Nutrition with Pumpkin: Pure pumpkin not only adds a delicious, creamy texture but it is a low calorie source of vitamins including Vitamin A, Potassium, Vitamin C, Iron and Folate. Boom.
- Swap Out Butter for Olive Oil: You see that gorgeous, deep brown crust on that baby? Traditionally that is created by adding butter to the top of the bread crumbs before baking. Well guess what? Olive oil accomplishes the same goal without the saturated fat and bad cholesterol that comes with butter. Added bonus: olive oil is a source of omega-3 fatty acids which actually lower cholesterol.
What is your favorite comfort food dish? Are there any that you’d like to see lightened up? I’d love to hear from you.
Your fork is waiting.
Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz whole wheat elbows cooked al dente
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar 2% reduced fat
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon dijon
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt low fat
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and have a medium-sized casserole dish ready.
- Place prepared pasta in a large bowl and set aside.
- Add milk and flour to a medium sauce pot and continuously whisk over medium heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in shredded cheese, pumpkin, dijon, grated garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk mixture until cheese is melted and sauce thickens even further, about 5 more minutes.
- Pour pumpkin cheese sauce over the pasta in the bowl and mix until pasta is evenly coated. Stir in plain yogurt then pour entire mixture into baking dish.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs, parmesan and olive oil evenly on top of the pasta then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the contents bubble and the top forms a nice crust.
Jessica
Wow — this is delicious. I baked up a batch and froze individual portions to send off to college with my daughter. She love it too. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so happy to hear it!! Let me know if you try any other recipes Jessica!
Grace
I have a tried and true Mac & Cheese recipe already, but I had pinned this on Pinterest a few weeks ago and decided to look up the ingredients to see if I had everything to make it. Well…I had to make some modifications according to what I had since there’s no way I was going to the grocery store. I used regular elbow pasta, 2% milk, sour cream instead of yogurt, and sharp cheddar instead of reduced fat. I had a date with the gym after cooking, so I didn’t try any, but my fiance did when he got home from work. He really liked it! It’s way different than my regular recipe, but he liked it. He started asking me what I put in it. I made sure I told him about the pumpkin once he admitted to liking it. ;) I knew he would never suspect it! Thanks for sharing this! Got a healthy mac & cheese recipe now…well, when I have the proper ingredients that is. :)
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so thrilled to hear he liked it!!!!! yay!!!!
Kari
is the Dijon nessecary? my family doesn’t usually eat Dijon and I’d hate to buy it for such a small amount? or is there a spice or something else I could maybe use? thanks so much, I’m excited to make this and bring it to school to share!
Liz DellaCroce
You can use dried mustard or just skip it! No big deal at all! I hope you enjoy!
Randal Oulton
That’s 9 ww points+ for 2 cups going by your nutrition chart, very impressive.
Anne [A Squared]
I can’t wait to make this– two of my favorite things in one dish!
Liz DellaCroce
Let me know if you try them Anne – you won’t regret it!
Robbie
HI.. Little confused for me.. U jusy say — Add milk and flour to a medium sauce pot and continuously whisk over medium heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-7 minutes without any butters? It will take thick?
Liz DellaCroce
Yes it sure will!! Butter is not a thickener. :)
Robbie
Hi again.. I did made them yesterday — w/o butter for roux… Tastes WONDERFUL!! I am sure that I will make them again for Thanksgiving dinner with big family! Thank you so much because I trust that food for big family.. =)
Liz DellaCroce
Oh good I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!! Thanks for letting me know!