Mac and cheese with baked pumpkin and chili

Votes: 4

How to Make - Roasted Pumpkin Chili Mac and Cheese

Time: 1 hour 40 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

Combine two dishes in one pot—American mac 'n' cheese and Tex-Mex chili—for a hearty meal that's perfect for warming up on a chilly autumn day. The highlight of this dish is baked butternut squash. Its natural sweetness harmoniously balances the heat of the chili and complements the creaminess of the cheese sauce. The baked squash, along with canned beans and cooked pasta, is tossed in a spicy cheese sauce, topped with grated cheese, and baked until the flavors meld and the cheese forms a delicious crust on top.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

450 g rigatoni, penne, or any other pasta with grooves
450 g butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 can (400g) kidney beans, rinsed
60 g butter + extra for greasing the baking dish
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste consistency
1 fresh chili pepper, such as Fresno or jalapeño, finely chopped
3 tbsp. flour
2.5 cups of milk
2 cups grated sharp yellow cheddar
0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese or other sharp, melting cheese

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and lightly grease a baking dish with butter. Place the pumpkin on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss to coat completely. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 17-20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 200°C. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, 7 minutes. Drain.

Cheese sauce:

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the grated Cheddar and Parmesan and stir until all the cheese has melted.
Combine the squash with the pasta, cheese sauce, and beans, then transfer to the prepared pan. Sprinkle with grated sharp cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid (or foil) and bake until the top is golden brown, another 15-20 minutes.

Categories: