Recipe Box, Loaded Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers as Hurricane Michael approaches the Gulf Coast… we had a normal, fun, summer like weekend just a few days ago, when Hurricane Michael was barely a blip on the radar near Belize…
But with favorable conditions, things can quickly escalate, and we spent Sunday securing everything as well as possible and headed north
This photo was taken yesterday morning from my neighbor’s pier showing how high the water was already…our pier was almost under water then, no telling what’s going on now!
We are lucky, we have another home to go to, we have insurance, and at this point there is really nothing we can do but hope and pray…hurricanes are very tricky, you never know what can happen…
Please keep everyone in harm’s way in your prayers this week, and this is a great time to enjoy some fall comfort food!
Oh lordy lordy, this can almost make me forget that our beloved paradise is in a hurricane’s path
There are a couple of simple prep steps that really take this dish over the top in flavor
First, poach the chicken in chicken broth by bringing it to a boil, then covering the pan and turning off the heat. As the burner cools down the chicken will gently poach and after 20 minutes, it will be juicy and tender
Note: you must use chicken tenders, or cut boneless breasts into smaller pieces or it will take longer to cook. If your chicken doesn’t quite cook all the way, no worries, it will finish during baking
While chicken is cooking, cook the bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet, for 15-20 minutes until crisp and cooked through. Use a spoon to scoop up about 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat and set it aside
Remove chicken from broth, but don’t discard broth. Add the pasta to the broth in the sauce pan with additional kosher salt. Bring to a boil, stir, and cover. Again, turn off burner and let pasta sit on the burner. As the burner cools down the pasta will gently cook. You can leave your pasta like this for 10 minutes or up to an hour or more, and it will be perfectly cooked whenever you are ready for it
You won’t believe how much flavor the pasta gains by cooking in the broth! It’s good enough to eat plain, I kept sneaking bites!
If you use a multi surface pasta like rotini, it really grabs and holds the sauce, making the pasta taste even better
The dreamy, creamy, pumpkin sauce is simple to make, melt the reserved bacon grease in the bottom of the sauce pan {use the same one you’ve been using, no need to wash it}. Pour the broth from the pan into another container and set aside
You can use 1 cup of this same broth for the sauce or use a fresh cup of broth. Discard or save the extra broth for another use
Once the bacon grease has melted, add the rest of the sauce ingredients
Season the sauce with cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to blend and thicken, then add the cheese
Chop the chicken and bacon
Now put the pasta, chicken and bacon {save some bacon for garnish if desired} into the sauce in the pan
Stir it well and transfer it to a deep casserole dish {3 quart with lid}
Sprinkle with more cheese and cover. Can be refrigerated at this point for up to 24 hours
Bake at 325, covered for 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Baking time will depend on temperature of dish
Don’t be put off by the length of the recipe, it’s very easy to make, and oh so worth it!
Loaded Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni rotini, or spiral pasta
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 lb boneless chicken tenders
- 4 cups chicken broth divided
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 T kosher salt
- salt & pepper
- 4 oz. Italian blend grated cheese or Parmesan
Instructions
- Roast bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 for 15-20 minutes, checking often near the end of cooking time, and remove from oven when crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve 1 T bacon drippings from pan by using a spoon to scoop it up from the parchment.
- While bacon is cooking, put 3 cups of chicken broth in large sauce pan.
- Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Cover pan and turn burner off, leaving chicken on the burner.
- After 20 minutes remove chicken from broth and put it on a safe cutting surface.
- Add 1 T of kosher salt and pasta to broth in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once pasta is boiling, cover pan and turn burner off, leaving pan on burner. Let pasta sit for at least 10 minutes to soften and absorb broth.
- While pasta is cooking chop the chicken and bacon.
- Drain pasta and set aside. Place reserved bacon grease in pasta pan.
- Put pan back on burner on medium heat. When grease has melted add remaining 1 cup chicken broth, pumpkin and cream.
- Stir to blend and thicken. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add 3 oz. cheese and stir until melted.
- Return pasta to pan with sauce and stir in cooked chicken and bacon. Transfer mixture to a greased 3 quart baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate until baking.
- Bake covered at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes until hot and bubbly. Cooking time will depend on temperature of dish at baking time. Reheat leftovers covered at 300 degrees or microwave individual portions.
This recipe was inspired by Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake from A Pinch of Yum, I added chicken and bacon to my own original pumpkin sauce which was first used in another delicious pasta dish,
Pumpkin Pasta with Italian Sausage & Ham
Enjoy!
🎃 🍝 🎃 🍝 🎃
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Hauntingly Beautiful, Meal Plan Monday
Dishing it & Digging it, Between Naps on the Porch,
Merry Monday Make it Pretty Monday Celebrate and Decorate,
Delicious Dishes Recipe Party Oh My Heartsie Girl Full Plate Thursday
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OH, so glad you are away from the coast right now! I hope your home weathers the storm on the coast.
Thank you Carole, all is fine, did you have any issues?
Mother Nature certainly has her own agenda. I’m glad to hear you and your family are safe.
I’m happy to know that you’re safe and sound, Jenna. Hurricanes must always be on your mind, though, I’m sure. I’m glad you were able to secure everything before leaving. Your pumpkin mac and cheese sounds like a perfect Fall comfort food dish. Thank you for your inspiration.
thanks Julie, yes hurricane season is hard on the nerves, we got lucky this time…hopefully it’s over until next year!
I hope that the storm stays well to the east of Alabama! This recipe looks so tasty. I want to cook it for myself! I’ve been craving pasta lately.
thank you RJ, I really like this pumpkin pasta and I don’t particularly like pumpkin!
Looks like a yummy dish. You always come up with the best dishes! I am praying for you all. As of right now looks like we will be hit with heavy rains and winds. We are prepared as much as can be. Praying for all. Asking the Lord to take that dang Michael and flutter him out. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
I hope you didn’t have damage from the storm Cindy…the price of paradise!
This looks SOOO amazing! Hope the storm misses you! Glad you have insurance and somewhere to go! Be safe!!!
this is a keeper Jodi! Yes, we escaped this horrendous storm, I am so sad for my eastern neighbors…
As soon as I saw the weather map, I thought of you, Jenna. I’m so glad you headed north. Take care!!
thank you Rosie, all is well now
Comfort food at its finest Jenna…I love the flavors here! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed your beach property is safe! I know it must be hard to batten down the hatches and drive away hoping for the best. ♥
It’s better than staying there! We ended up with no effects at all, so that’s great for us but so tragic for so many…
You are the best at taking ordinary kitchen pantry items and making extraordinary dishes out of them. This looks good – pinned, and thank you!
Keep us posted once you know the extent of Michael’s path in your specific area.
thank you Rita, this is a great flavor combo, I hope you give it a try. Thank you for worrying about me, we got lucky this time, I am shocked at how fast the storm escalated and the devastation it left behind
This looks like a yummy dish! I’m so glad that you and your family are safe.
thank you Patty Anne
I am glad you came back north, Jenna and I hop your home on the coast weathered the storm. This dish looks amazing, pumpkin and pasta are perfect!
It is really a delicious combo, thank you Pam!
Hope you weather the storm well – the pics on the news of the panhandle are so sad to watch. The pasta looks delish!!
We escaped the danger zone this time Patti, but I am sick for my neighbors east of me…that is such a beautiful area of beaches, so devastating…
Hope all works out for you. I’m Carole from Carole’s Chatter. I’ve been following your blog for a while now. I think you do really creative things with food. I wondered if you would like to join the group of bloggers who share their posts on a monthly basis via Food on Friday. I host this link up on the second Friday of each month. Every month there are a few different themes. This month they are Holiday Favorites, Tomatoes, Using Leftovers and Brussel Sprouts. If you would like to check it out just hop on over to Carole’s Chatter. We would all love to see you there. Cheers
Thank you Carole, so nice of you! I think I have participated in you group several times before, I will mark it on my calendar, thanks
Hi Jenna,
We have had you in our thoughts and prayers, the hurricane was horrible. I can sure see how your Pumpkin Mac & Cheese would be a great comfort food to help get through the storm. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Miz Helen
thanks Miz Helen, we were spared this time thank goodness, such a horrific storm, I feel so upset for so many that lost everything…