Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

My husband doesn't eat macaroni and cheese ... he hates the stuff. I know, I don't understand it either - I mean how could you NOT like macaroni and cheese?!?! He obviously didn't grow up in the same home as me; my mother makes the BEST macaroni and cheese in the whole world. Her recipe runs circles around Kraft Dinner.

Anyway, this evening Alan had plans to go out for dinner with a friend so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make something he wouldn't enjoy eating. I went online to search for recipes and stumbled on  one for pumpkin macaroni and cheese. Since pumpkins are in season, and since I had a can of pumpkin puree hanging out in my pantry, I decided to go for it. I modified the recipe a little bit, and here you go:

Ingredients -

2 cups of macaroni
Smoked Gouda cheese (approx one cup, shredded)
1 can of pumpkin puree (approx one cup)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of skim milk
1 teaspoon of sea salt (or regular salt)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
Shredded Smoked Applewood Cheese (optional)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the 2 cups of macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, mix the butter, sea salt, flour, pumpkin, heavy cream and skim milk on medium heat until nice and bubbly. Add in the cheese and stir frequently so the cheese doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. You should end up with a thick, creamy texture like this:

Remove from heat. Add in the cooked macaroni.

Stir the sauce and the macaroni together until well blended. Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and, if you wish, additional cheese. I added shredded Smoked Applewood Cheddar to the top of mine. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Mmmmmmm.

I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed this. It was so creamy and rich, and the Gouda cheese really gave it an awesome smokey, woody flavor. Perfect for fall and I actually think it would be perfect as a side dish at a Thanksgiving feast. Delicious! Husband missed out, big time.