Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Apples and Caramelized Onions

Now that I’ve seen my first official snowfall of the season and have broken out my winter hat and gloves, all I can think about are warm and cozy meals, and when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than mac and cheese!

But as you’ve probably guessed from the title, this is no ordinary mac and cheese! And even though it might sound a little weird, I promise that it works!

This mac and cheese has a ton of flavour going on – there’s pumpkin puree, pumpkin beer, sautéed apples, caramelized onions, and smoked applewood cheddar cheese – and it all works together so well!

I can never decide if I prefer stovetop or baked mac and cheese, so I tried this both ways. I stopped after cooking it on the stovetop and dug in to test it out. You'll probably want to do the same thing because it’s so hard to resist at this point, and I certainly wouldn't blame you!

Or you could keep going; sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top and throw it in the oven so you get a crunchy topping with cheesy goodness underneath - it really just depends on how you like your mac and cheese. I loved it both ways!

I loved that the dash of maple syrup and addition of apples added a touch of sweetness to cut the richness of the cheese, but there wasn’t an apple in every bite so it was like a fun surprise every time you ate one! I also like the smokiness that the applewood smoked cheddar added, but if you don’t like smoky cheeses (my sister complained about the smell every time I heated it up), you could just use a regular sharp cheddar cheese, or I think gruyere would work well too!

You’re probably wondering why there are strange green things in my pasta, but that’s just because I used this tri-colour vegetable pasta:



I realize this isn’t exactly a healthy meal, but with the vegetable pasta instead of regular pasta, the addition of pumpkin, apples, and onions, and using low fat milk, I like to think that it’s at least better for you than a lot of other mac and cheese recipes.

And I certainly had no problem finishing this whole dish by myself (though not all at once, of course!)

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Apples and Caramelized Onions

Adapted from Her Campus, who adapted from Rachel Ray

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

8oz dry macaroni pasta (I used tri-colour vegetable pasta)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 apple, diced (I used Red Delicious)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pumpkin beer

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1/2 cup evaporated 2% milk (regular 2% milk would work too)

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 cup pumpkin puree

1-1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used applewood smoked cheddar and I used 1-1/2 cups to use it up)

~1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, stir to coat with oil, and let cook, stirring occasionally, about ten minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cook another 5 minutes or so and then add the chopped apples.  Continue to cook apples and onions, stirring occasionally, for an additional 15 minutes or so, until onions are caramelized and apples are softened and golden brown.  Set aside.

About ten minutes before your onions and apples are done cooking, you can start the roux.  Add butter to a medium saucepan and let melt over medium heat.  Add flour to the melted butter and whisk continuously for about a minute. Raise heat a bit and add the beer.  Reduce until almost evaporated and mixture is quite thick, then whisk in the maple syrup and milk.  Season with mustard powder, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Let cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Whisk in the pumpkin then whisk in the grated cheese until incorporated.

Stir together the pasta, cheese sauce, onions, and apples.  At this point, you can serve the mac and cheese as is for a stovetop version, or you can bake it.  If you choose to bake it, spread it into an 8x8 glass baking dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.  Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, let cool slightly, then serve.

Pumpkin Ale Risotto

I cannot believe it’s already November!  Just last week I was walking through fallen leaves in a leather jacket; today I had to wear mittens and it snowed in my hometown this morning!  I’m even kicking off the holiday season tonight with the Holiday Home Tour in London – you get to walk through five (very nice) houses that have been professionally decorated for the holidays, and also enjoy some entertainment and treats along the way.  I admit part of the reason we go is to get a peek into other people’s elaborate homes (which are much nicer than my little apartment!), but it’s also fun to get into the Christmas spirit and start getting decorating ideas!

Even though we’re heading towards winter, I hope it’s not too late for pumpkin recipes because I’ve still got a couple good ones to share, like this pumpkin ale risotto!  I bought pretty much every type of pumpkin beer I saw this fall, and I just couldn’t drink them all fast enough so I tried to experiment with using them in my food.  I had recently seen the idea of using beer instead of wine when you’re making risotto, which got me thinking that pumpkin ale would be perfect to use in a pumpkin risotto!  I used a basic risotto recipe but replaced the white wine with pumpkin ale, added some pureed squash along with some roasted pieces of squash for texture (my grocery store was out of pumpkins but squash worked just as well), then added a bit of nutmeg and sage for seasoning.  The result was a creamy and comforting risotto with a subtle pumpkin flavour that’s perfect for either fall or winter!

Pumpkin Ale Risotto

Adapted from several sources, including Chow.com and Two Girls One Food Processor

Serves about 4

Ingredients:

1 (~3lb) cooking pumpkin or squash (I used butternut squash because pumpkins weren’t available at my store)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt & pepper

4 cups (1L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups dry Arborio rice

1 cup of your favourite pumpkin ale

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dried sage or rosemary

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or more if desired)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Peel and slice squash/pumpkin into small, 1/2-inch cubes.  Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until tender.  Mash enough cubes to make 1 cup of mashed squash/pumpkin, and reserve 1-1/2 cups of cubed squash/pumpkin.  Save any remaining squash for another use.

Add chicken or vegetable stock to a medium pot, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and leave gently simmering as you make the risotto.

Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds, then add rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast the rice.  Add pumpkin ale in two additions, stirring until absorbed each time. 

Set a timer for 20 minutes, and for the duration of the timer, continuously add the simmering stock to the rice a ladle at a time, stir until absorbed by the rice, then add another ladle, stir again, etc.  Keep stirring the rice constantly with a flexible heat-proof spatula. When the 20 minutes are up, taste and ensure rice is cooked to al dente. 

Add the mashed pumpkin, nutmeg, and sage and stir until incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper, add the parmesan cheese, stir and taste, and adjust any spices or seasonings to taste (you may wish for more nutmeg or the addition of cinnamon if you really want the pumpkin flavours to come through).  Gently stir in the cubed squash/pumpkin.  Serve warm.