Baked Mini Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
When you pull these golden mini pumpkins out of the oven, bubbling over with ultra-creamy pumpkin mac & cheese, you know you're in for something special. It’s one of my favourite dishes to make for fall because it appeals to all ages... and they're super cute! I’ve been experimenting with fall pasta dishes for a while now, and the trick with pumpkin mac and cheese is making sure the cheese remains the star of the show. We’re using pure pumpkin purée here to give the sauce a gorgeous, silky body and subtle warmth, but without crowding out that sharp cheddar punch we all crave in a proper mac.
Ingredients
➡️Note on Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Mini Pumpkins
- 10 to 12 mini pumpkins sugar pie or jack-be-little varieties
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
- 13 oz elbow macaroni 375 g
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter 70 g
- 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour 40 g
- 3¼ cups whole milk, warmed 780 mL
- ¾ cup 35% whipping cream, warmed 180 mL
- ½ cup canned pure pumpkin purée 120 g
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus extra for pasta water
- 10 oz extra-old/sharp cheddar, freshly grated 280 g
- 5 oz Gruyère, freshly grated 140 g
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan 40 g
Crispy Sage Breadcrumbs (Pangrattato)
- 1¼ tablespoon unsalted butter 17½ g
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 35 g
- 2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan 12½ g
- ¾ tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage approx. 2¼ teaspoon
- Small pinch of kosher salt
For Serving
- Fried sage leaves optional garnish
Instructions
Pre-Roast the Mini Pumpkins
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice a lid off each mini pumpkin, carving an opening approximately 3 inches (7½ cm) across. Save the stem lids for serving presentation. Scoop out seeds and fibrous pulp using a spoon, taking care not to scrape away the edible flesh inside.
- Lightly brush the interior cavity and exterior skin of each pumpkin & lid with olive oil. Sprinkle the insides of the pumpkins very lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place pumpkins and the lids cut-side down on the prepared baking sheets. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the lids, they will cook faster.
- Remove from the oven and drop the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). The pumpkin walls should still feel firm; this initial roast gives them a necessary head start before filling.
Undercook the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with kosher salt.
- Add elbow macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. Drain immediately in a colander. Do not rinse the pasta.
Build the Cheese Sauce
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring continuously to remove the raw flour taste without letting the roux brown.
- Slowly pour in warmed milk and warmed cream while whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Turn the heat down to low. Whisk in the pumpkin purée, Dijon, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt until completely uniform. Cook for 1 minute to heat the pumpkin through.
- Take the saucepan completely off the heat. Add grated cheddar and Gruyère in small handfuls, stirring until each batch melts before adding the next. Stir in Parmesan.
Note: Avoid putting the pan back over heat after adding cheese to prevent oil separation.
Combine Pasta and Assess Consistency
- Fold cooked macaroni into the warm cheese sauce using a spatula.
- Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavour.
- If the sauce appears thick or dry, mix in ¼ cup (60 mL) warmed milk (adding 1 to 2 extra tablespoons if needed). Avoid using extra cream at this stage to keep the moisture balance correct without adding heavy fats.
Test the consistency: drag a spoon through the center of the pan. The sauce should quickly flow back to fill the channel. It should look significantly wetter than standard bowl-served mac and cheese.
Toast the Crispy Sage Breadcrumbs
- Melt half of the breadcrumb butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast for 2 minutes, stirring frequently until lightly pale golden.
- Take the skillet off the burner. Immediately stir in the remaining half of butter along with the Parmesan, chopped sage, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Assemble and Bake
- Spoon macaroni into each pumpkin cavity loosely, letting pasta pieces sit slightly above the rims without compacting them down.
- Top with toasted sage-Parmesan breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Begin checking smaller pumpkins at the 15-minute mark. If breadcrumbs require extra browning while pumpkins are tender, switch to broil for 30 to 60 seconds while monitoring closely.
Check for three signs of doneness: cheese sauce bubbling around the edges, breadcrumbs crisp and golden, and pumpkin walls easily pierced with a paring knife while maintaining their structure.
Rest and Serve
- Allow pumpkins to rest for 5 minutes after baking so sauce can settle.
- Transfer individual pumpkins to serving plates and lean reserved roasted caps against them. Garnish with fried sage leaves if desired.
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