Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Chef Valerie Vanderpool  from Zest creates Pumpkin Mac & Cheese, so hardy it could be a meal on it own but it would be a wonderful side dish this November.

Pumpkin Mac & CheeseServes 8

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

8 oz. shredded american cheese

8 oz. shredded gouda cheese

8 oz. shredded fontina cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 turns fresh black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated

1 pound pasta, undercooked by 2-3 minutes (use a pasta that has a lot of places for sauce to sneak into)

Lemon-Parmesan Streusel (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat milk and cream until steaming. DO NOT BOIL!!!

Whisk in pumpkin, cheeses and spices; then stir very often with a rubber spatula.

Don’t use a spoon & don’t scrape the bottom.

Gently stir in cooked pasta.

Pour it into a well-sprayed casserole pan and bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Remove from oven & immediately sprinkle the Streusel all over the top.

Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

 

Lemon-Parmesan Streusel

2 slices sourdough sandwich bread, toasted & very dry

½ stick butter

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 pinch salt

3 turns fresh black pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

In food processor, grind bread into bread crumbs.

In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.

Sauté garlic in melted butter; add bread crumbs, dry mustard, salt and pepper.

Sauté just until bread crumbs turn golden.

Remove from heat; immediately stir in lemon zest and parsley. Let cool completely. Stir in parmesan.