Mac & Cheese

Mac + Cheese to feed the family. Packed of healthy ingredients no one will taste and a well-balanced meal you will feel great serving.

Ingredients⁠

1 pound macaroni noodles

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup onion, diced

8 oz mushrooms, quartered

1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk

2 cups fresh roasted pie pumpkin (instructions below)* OR 1 – 15 oz can pure pumpkin

8 oz Appel Farm’s Nokkelost, grated

4 oz Appel Farm’s Sharp Cheddar, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

⁠Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the macaroni noodles.  Salt the water and add the pasta.  Cook until just shy of al dente.  Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions just start to soften.

Add the evaporated milk and bring to a low simmer.  

Whisk in the pumpkin and bring back to a simmer.

Gradually add the cheeses, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt.  

Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until coated, adding some of the pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast Pumpkin(Optional! Replace with 1- 15oz can pure pumpkin)

Ingredients

1 pie pumpkin

Olive oil

⁠Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  

Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds (save the seeds for roasting!) 

 Rub the cut side with olive oil and place cut side down on a large, rimmed baking sheet.  

Roast for approximately 45-50 minutes or until you can poke through the skin, and it is soft inside.  Allow to cool, then peel off the rind.

Mash the pumpkin if desired.

Extra pumpkin can be frozen and saved for many recipes!

*Larger carving and jack-o-lantern pumpkins are great for decoration but have very little flavor and are more difficult to handle when roasting.