Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
Fresh Pumpkin – 4oz Pumpkin Puree – ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese – 2 cups
Parm/Mozzarella Mix – 1 cup Flour - 1/3 cup Milk – 2 ½ cups
Butter – 1/3 cup Nutmeg- ¼ tsp Italian Seasoning – ½ tsp
Macaroni – 2 ½ cups
Equipment
pot for macaroni - baking Sheet (provided) - frying pan
whisk or fork - colander - wooden spoon or silicon spatula
Instructions:
1) Wash your hands
To make the macaroni
In a large pot, boil your pasta in salted water for about 8-9 minutes or until pasta is tender
Drain pasta in the colander
To Roast Fresh Pumpkin
Preheat your oven to 375
In the bag the pumpkin is in, add the oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of the nutmeg and Italian seasoning blend. Seal the bag and shake until all of the pumpkin is coated in the oil and seasonings
Put the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is fully roasted
When this is done take the pan out and set it aside (be careful, it’s hot!)
o Leave the oven on at this stage
To Make Cheese Sauce
Add butter to your frying pan and melt over medium heat (we want to be careful not to burn the butter)
Once the butter is melted, add in your flour and stir together until all of the melted butter in absorbed by the flour – This is called a roux
Continue to cook your roux for about 3 minutes or until you see a little bit of color in the flour/butter mixture – this cooks the flour and gets rid of the flour taste
Once the roux is cooked add in your cream, stir, and season with salt and pepper
Raise heat to medium high and continue stirring/whisking CONSTANTLY until the sauce thickens – Make sure to scrape all around the pan to make sure all of the roux is mixed into the sauce
a. To test if your sauce is done, place your small spoon in the sauce, pull it out, and once it’s not too hot, run your finger on the back of your spoon. If your finger leaves a clean line in the sauce, it’s done!
Once your sauce is done turn off the heat and add in the rest of the nutmeg/Italian seasoning mix, a big sprinkle of salt and pepper, and half of your cheddar cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted and incorporated. Once the cheese is melted, stir in the pumpkin puree.
Putting it all together
In your baking pan that you roasted the pumpkin in, add the cooked macaroni and the cheese sauce and stir until everything is well mixed
Sprinkle the rest of your cheese on the top and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is all melted
Let is rest for about 5 minutes before you serve and enjoy!

Music
“Electronic Future Beats”
By QubeSounds