Spinach Bacon Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Creamy pumpkin mac and cheese with savory bacon and a boost of veggies from spinach. This easy pumpkin mac and cheese bake is filled with delicious pumpkin spice flavors for a sweet and savory dinner the whole family will love!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 489cal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry cavatappi, pipe rigate or shells (or whatever pasta you have on hand, even gluten free!)
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- For the pumpkin cheese sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or all purpose gluten free flour)
- 2 cups whole or 2% milk (or sub unsweetened almond or cashew milk)
- 3 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
- 2 ounces finely grated parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- For the topping:
- 2 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten free if desired
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish or 9x9 inch or 11x7 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and set aside.
- Cook your bacon: Add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until crispy and golden brown. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, simply lower the heat. Once bacon is done, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Cook the spinach: Drain the grease from the bacon pan, then place the same pan over low heat and cook your spinach: add spinach to pan and cook until spinach wilts, the spinach will absorb any of the small amount of grease remaining on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to the large bowl with the noodles.
- Make the cheese sauce: In the same pan, add in the butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms and then slowly add in milk, a little bit at a time, vigorously whisking away any lumps. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and stir every so often, until the sauce thickens up, about 2 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thickened up a bit, reduce the heat to low and stir in garlic powder, the cheddar and parmesan cheese. salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper. Finally stir in the pumpkin puree until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat.
- Add the pumpkin cheese sauce to the bowl with the pasta and spinach. Stir well to combine and coat the pasta with the sauce, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as necessary. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and evenly spread out towards the edges. Top with remaining ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, then top with the bacon pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the Mac and cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serves 6.
Notes
Prep it ahead of time: simply make the recipe as directed, except do not add the breadcrumbs. Instead, cover with foil and place in fridge until ready to bake. Once ready to bake, add the breadcrumbs as directed and bake. You may need to add an extra splash of milk. Additionally, you make need to add 5-10 minutes of extra baking time.
See the full post for tips, tricks & ways to customize this recipe!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6) | Calories: 489cal | Carbohydrates: 49.1g | Protein: 23.7g | Fat: 23.2g | Saturated Fat: 11.4g | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 3.3g