Mac and Cheese-Stuffed Pumpkins

Dinner

Sep 14

Give classic comfort food a festive fall makeover! Mini pie pumpkins are roasted until tender, then filled with creamy, homemade mac and cheese and baked again until bubbling and golden.

Reynolds Kitchens® Countertop Prep Paper is the Halloween prep hero you didn’t know you needed, giving you a dedicated workspace for scooping out all those messy pumpkin seeds and stringy pulp, then bundling it all up for easy cleanup.

Mac & Cheese-Stuffed Pumpkins

Servings: 4-8

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Reynolds Kitchens® Countertop Prep Paper, for shredding cheese and cleaning up seeds and pumpkin pulp
Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil, to line baking trays
2 small pie pumpkins, about 2–2½ pounds each
Olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
10 ounces elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups shredded sharp or medium cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prepare the pumpkins: Preheat the oven to 400°F and position a rack in the lower third of the oven, allowing enough clearance for the pumpkins. Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully slice straight across the top of each pumpkin, about 1½ to 2 inches below the stem, to create a removable lid. Set the lids aside. Lightly dampen the countertop with a wet towel or spray bottle, then lay a sheet of Reynolds Kitchens® Countertop Prep Paper over the damp surface and smooth it flat to help keep it securely in place. Place the pumpkins on the Countertop Prep Paper and use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp directly onto the paper. Scrape the inside of each pumpkin until relatively smooth.
Season and bake pumpkins: Line a baking sheet with Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil. Rub the inside and outside of each pumpkin and the lids with olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Place the pumpkins and their lids cut-side down and roast for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is just tender enough to pierce easily with a fork but the pumpkins are still sturdy enough to hold their shape. Carefully remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Cook the macaroni: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Drain.
Make the mac & cheese: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in 1½ cups of the cheddar, the Gruyère and Parmesan until melted and smooth. Add the cooked macaroni and stir until evenly coated.
Fill and bake the pumpkins: Spoon the mac and cheese into the roasted pumpkins, filling them to the top. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the tops. Return the filled pumpkins to the foil-lined baking sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400°F for 15–20 minutes, or until the mac and cheese is hot and the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. For extra browning, broil for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully.
Serve: Let the pumpkins rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm, scraping some of the tender roasted pumpkin flesh into the mac and cheese as you eat.