Pumpkin & Rosemary Baked Mac and Cheese

Oh yes, it’s baked mac and cheese season, ya’ll. Turn those ovens on! This is one of my all-time favorite dishes and I’ve got a fun, autumn variation for you today with this pumpkin & rosemary baked mac and cheese.

I am also SO thrilled to be working with Wayfair to promote their Le Creuset Dutch ovens. For me, buying a Le Creuset Dutch oven was one of my first “big” purchases as a food blogger years ago. My first one was red and I loved and used it so, so, much for years.

I love the versatility of cooking with them on the stove, and also being able to pop them in the oven. They are perfect for soups, casseroles, bread, and so much more. I am in LOVE with this deep emerald-y green color called Artichaut.

If you’ve never used one before, the Le Creuset Dutch ovens are super durable and made of cast iron. But, you don’t have to season them before use, and they are safe to clean in dishwashers (two things that usually are a bit annoying about cast iron). I also personally love how they look sitting on the stove top—they are timeless.

This pumpkin & rosemary baked macaroni and cheese recipe is the perfect dish to make in a Dutch oven because you can cook the roux and sauce on the stove top, stir in the cooked noodles, and then pop the whole thing in the oven.

I also think a Dutch oven looks great as a part of a pretty tablescape! So, it can do double duty as an essential part of your kitchen, but also decor for a dinner party or the holidays this year.

And speaking of pretty tabletop decor, I got so many cute things from Wayfair! Can’t wait to host a dinner party someday soon. 🙂

I loved the mix of black cast iron candlestick holders, with speckled dishes, dark flatware, and this pretty stitched autumn leaves table runner. It feels so cozy to me!

You can easily shop everything below (just click on the item):

Here is the printable recipe card for the pumpkin & rosemary baked macaroni and cheese. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Pumpkin & Rosemary Baked Macaroni and Cheese

a stovetop-to-oven recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

• 16 ounces macaroni noodles
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup pumpkin
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon rosemary chopped
• 3 cups milk
• 16 ounces cheddar cheese shredded

Breadcrumb Topping

• 5 pieces bread whole wheat preferred
• 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles to al dente. Do not overcook. Drain once cooked and set aside.

2. For the breadcrumbs, toast the bread and finely chop into crumbs; a food processor works well here.

3. Milk the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic.

4. Whisk in the flour, which will form a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Stir in the pumpkin and 1 teaspoon rosemary.

6. Whisk in the milk, adding slowly as if you are making gravy.

7. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Once mostly melted, turn off the heat.

8. Stir in the noodles. Top with the remaining cheese and then the breadcrumbs and remaining rosemary.

9. Cover and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

You can use other noodles besides macaroni, like shells or bowtie. But I would stick with noodles that have a similar shape/density. So, avoid things like spaghetti as this will make serving a little harder (not as easy to spoon out of the pan).

Wheat bread is preferred for the breadcrumbs, but you can use any old bread you may have on hand. I just like the hardiness of wheat.