Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheeze

NOTE: As a member of The Kitchn Cabinet, I was given free products from Daiya Foods in exchange for a recipe post. All opinions and thoughts in this post/all related posts are my own, and were not influenced by the company and/or its affiliates.

Happy fall, y'all! The weather here in New York is cooling down, the trees have started to turn, and you'd better believe I have decorative gourds and cinnamon brooms ALL over the place. I don't know a single person who doesn't love this season, and even if I did, I wouldn't believe them. We all know you secretly like the pumpkin things from Starbucks. Just own it.

This year though, I’ll admit that the crisp air is bringing with it some conflicting feelings. The warm weather really alleviated a lot of cabin fever during quarantine, and it's going to be different when the weather gets cold. The holidays will also be different this year, but since food is exempt from social distancing protocol, I'm soothing my worries by developing ALL the holiday recipes and preparing my kitchen for the cold weather. (Just ask the 15 qts. of homemade stock I made yesterday.)

When I was thinking about what might be a fun, new addition to Thanksgiving this year, my mind wandered back to a recipe I posted on this blog MANY moons ago: Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheeze.

When Daiya sent me their new Cheddar Style Cutting Board Cheeze Shreds to try, I knew immediately that I wanted to revisit this pumpkin mac, but make it even better this time. (The OG recipe was posted in 2013 and shot on an iPhone... It was good, but we've grown a bit since.)

Mac and cheese is one of those comfort food mainstays that has a place at the dinner table no matter the season or the reason, but this recipe is made specifically for fall. The creamy sauce features pumpkin puree and just the right pinch of autumnal herbs and spices that will keep you coming back for seconds (and probably thirds, let's be real). You could also use a canned butternut squash or sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin.

On the plus side, using Daiya makes this dish totally plant-based! Even though I'm not vegan, I certainly appreciate a well-made vegan dupe, and with this cheeze, I don't miss the real cheddar. It melts down into a smooth sauce just like cheese would, and tastes delicious. I was impressed! Non-vegans, believe me: you won't even know this recipe is dairy-free. This recipe is very simple, so feel free to give it your spin!

It would be delicious baked with some spiced panko breadcrumbs (and more cheeze) on top, and the chilled leftovers would be mighty tasty fried up into mac and cheeze bites. Also, life hack: the sauce by itself would be DELICIOUS as a dip or on top of nachos! Give it a try this season, and let me know how you like it.

Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheeze

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Yield: 4-6

Author: Sarah Kenner

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

The best mac and cheese for fall. So creamy, you won’t even know it’s plant-based!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. elbow or curly pasta
• 2– 3 Tbs. sea salt for boiling
• 2 Tbs. vegan butter
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour, or gluten free all-purpose flour
• 1 & 1/4 cups unsweetened plant milk
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup Daiya Cheddar-Style Cheeze Shreds, or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)
• 1/2 tsp. thyme (fresh or dried)
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. While you wait, gather and measure out the remaining ingredients.
2. When the water is boiling, add the 2-3 Tbs. salt and then the 1 lb. pasta. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain. Set aside.
3. Melt 2 Tbs. vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add the 2 Tbs. flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth, slightly browned, and smells nutty.
4. Whisk in the 1 & 1/4 cups plant-based milk. Bring to a light simmer, then whisk in the 3/4 cup pumpkin puree and 2 tsp. dijon mustard until smooth.
5. Add 3/4 cup vegan cheeze shreds. Whisk thoroughly until the cheeze has completely melted down into the sauce, then mix in the 1/2 tsp. rosemary, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and pepper to taste.
6. Gradually whisk some reserved pasta water into the sauce until it is creamy and shiny. (It may seem a little thin, but it will thicken as it cools).
7. Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss to combine, and serve.

fall, mac and cheese, macaroni, pasta, plant-based, pumpkin, thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian

Pasta, Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian/Vegan, Under 30 Minutes

Did you love this recipe?

Tag me @hungrymusician on Instagram!