This pumpkin mac and cheese is perfect for fall dinners, holidays, or anytime you’re craving a twist on classic mac and cheese.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

• Extra creamy: Pumpkin puree blends seamlessly with the cheese sauce.
• Crowd-pleasing: Familiar enough to satisfy picky eaters, yet unique enough to impress guests.
• Quick & easy: Ready in under 30 minutes.

FAQ: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Q: Does pumpkin make mac and cheese taste sweet?
A: No—pumpkin adds creaminess and mild flavor without overpowering the cheese. It’s savory, not dessert-like.

Q: Can I make this gluten-free?
A: Yes! Use gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour blend for the roux.

Q: Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
A: Absolutely. Roast and puree fresh pumpkin for a homemade touch. Just make sure it’s smooth and well-drained.

Q: What can I serve with Pumpkin Mac and Cheese?
A: It pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, a crisp green salad, or grilled chicken.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the ultimate cozy fall dinner—warm, hearty, and full of flavor. Whether you serve it as a main dish or a side, it’s sure to become a seasonal favorite.

I love walnut bowls they give fall foods a warm cozy feel. No need to save them for salad!

More Delicious Savory Pumpkin Recipes:

• Pumpkin Deviled Eggs
• Garlic Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
• Pumpkin Sausage Soup

Print

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the ultimate cozy fall dinner—warm, hearty, and full of flavor. Whether you serve it as a main dish or a side, it’s sure to become a seasonal favorite.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta,, pumpkin

Author Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb large elbow pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, coarse kosher
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3-4 cups whole milk
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (12 oz cheese)
• 1/4 cup crisped cooked bacon, diced fine adding 1/2 in and topping with remaining bacon
• fresh oregano garnish

The post Pumpkin Mac and Cheese first appeared on Created by Diane.

This takes bread and butter to a whole new level.

jalapenos are the one thing I can grow… I have one jalapen o plant that grows tons of jalapenos I’ve had it for over 4 years now and it’s still producing. I’ve planted more jalapeno plants and hope they all are so lucky. I even

and WHAMO if you’re looking for an easy snack, perfect when you have stopper-buyers (you know impromptu guests) too!

grab some butter and let’s get whipping

with just a few fridge staples in no time you’ll be enjoying it.

It all starts with

• butter
• jalapeno
• garlic
• lime
• cilantro
• cotija cheese
• salt

I love it served with flour tortillas, corn tortillas are also an option. Brown the tortillas on a burner, comal, or pan, and cut the tortillas into triangles to warm them up and give them a bit of texture.

Then grab a spreader and get slathering!

Now onto the possibilities, don’t have tortillas, use bread, you can even cut it into triangles.

Add jalapeno butter to

• scrambled eggs
• steak
• alfredo sauce

This compound jalapeno butter is delicious with

• add it to rice
• roasted vegetables
• cornbread
• great with Mexican rice
• and wonderful on a baked potato.

Bread and butter jalapeno style… no matter your bread preference, this is a winner!

This butter can easily be wrapped in wax or parchment paper and kept in the fridge and can be sliced or brought back to room temperature for spreading.

Here are a couple of cute wood rolled edged boards, and these cut personal sized wood boards would be fun.

I prefer crisp chopped bacon on top of what I’m serving but not mixed into the butter but go right ahead and mix it in if you prefer.

If you like jalapeno and bacon give this great pasta recipe a try.

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Jalapeno Butter

Spice things up iwth a delicious butter that you'll find irresistible. The perfect snack butter filled with jalapeno, and cilantro. Slather this butter on anything from bread to steak, corn, rice or a bakedd potato.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword butter, jalapeno

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter salted or unsalted (1 lb of butter is 2 cups)
• 4-6 jalapenos, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 10 pieces fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
• coarse kosher salt add to taste
• 1/4 cup cooked, diced crispy bacon (optional)

Instructions

• Allow butter to come to room temperature (you can microwave butter on the defrost setting to soften it, but do not melt the butter or allow it to become "warm" or it'll be too soft)
• whip the butter with a mixer until soft and fluffy for 3 minutes.
• in a saucepan heat the diced jalapeno for 1 minute, cook longer if you want the flavor to be more mild.
• stir the garlic into the jalapeno
• add the jalapeno mixture to the butter, along with the lime juice, cilantro, and cheese, and mix until well incorporated.
• add salt to preferred taste. Add bacon or use the bacon on top of what you are serving. I prefer the bacon added on top.
• Serve with tortillas, bread, steak, cornbread, rice, potatoes, and corn.

The post Jalapeno Butter first appeared on Created by Diane.

New England clam chowder has long been my favorite soup. I prefer the white clam chowder over the red Manhattan variety.

I give you options for using canned clams or fresh clams for this recipe. I often buy the large 51 oz canned clams at Costco. Which is about 3 lbs with liquid, so fresh 2 lbs would work.

If clam chowder is on the menu I typically order it. But as a true soup lover, I make it often and I’m so glad my whole family loves it as much as I do.

Continue reading: Clam Chowder

The post Clam Chowder first appeared on Created by Diane.

I made these with cabbage, but you could also use kale, baby kale is a great addition. This dish is not only the perfect side for corned beef, but it’s delicious with ham, chicken, beef, or pork, so consider this for your next mealtime and see smiles all around. 

If you know one thing about me, know I love mashed potatoes, so adding in a green veggie… YUM. Just one more reason to make this. You can easily simplify making dinner by adding the greens right in.

Can you add meat to this?

Absolutely! You can chop up some corned beef, ham, beef, chicken, or pork added right into the potatoes and cabbage for a great one-dish meal. Be sure to click on the links I added for how to easily cook tender meat to add to this.

Another great option is to add crispy chopped bacon. 

Continue reading: Colcannon

The post Colcannon first appeared on Created by Diane.

 The salty sweet flavors of bacon mingled with the crisp and fresh taste of lettuce, and all the earthy fresh aromas a tomato offers an amazing flavor combination now enters this SAUCE…

And it’s these flavors that inspired me to throw them together in a pasta dish that is perfect for lunch, a picnic, or the perfect summer dinner on a hot day. I replaced the lettuce with Kale, but you could use spinach or another green easily.

All of this being said, I do get a lot of questions about bacon. Which type of bacon, precooked, crumbled, raw. I often select precooked bacon as it only takes a minute to heat up in the microwave and crisp well and it’s great for making the meal quickly. You can cook any bacon of your choice for this recipe. Take a look at my post on Baking Bacon in the oven here.

I love bacon and you can find more of my recipes with bacon below:

• Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese my most requested recipe from my kids
• Maple Bacon Bourbon Chicken Legs Oh yea!
• Crack Chicken, a really fun hearty meal
• Cold BLT Pasta Salad with a homemade tomato mayo dressing
• BLT Cole Slaw perfect for a BBQ
• Baked Beans just about the BEST recipe ever, make on the stove, oven, or Instant Pot.

Continue reading: Buttermilk BLT Pasta Sauce

The post Buttermilk BLT Pasta Sauce first appeared on Created by Diane.

There are many reasons low-carb eating is popular and manageable for losing weight, keeping weight off, controlling blood sugar, and eating healthy…without just eating salad! I love a good salad, but can’t survive on salad alone!

Join my email list and never miss a bite!

• Beef Non Kabob
• Green Chicken Chili
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Bowls
• Sour Cream Chicken
• Chicken Pineapple Kabobs
• Greek Chicken
• Szechuan Chicken and Vegetables

Reducing carb-heavy items like pasta, rice, and bread is really not as hard as it may sound, even for a carb lover like me.

Avoiding items that are sugary and processed are also items to avoid when eating low carb.

If I’m really craving something sweet, I typically eat some strawberries or blueberries and some dark chocolate.

Initially, you may miss the high-carb items you’re used to eating, but really, your body is missing the sugar.

Once you start eating enough “real food,” you’ll be full and satisfied by eating fiber to feel full, healthy fat to burn for energy instead of the fast-burning sugar that leaves you craving more sugar very quickly.

Stocking your fridge with lots of lean protein and vegetables is the best way to begin.

I have gotten lots of questions over the past few months about what exactly I am eating. Do I eat this… or that?
How am I making it work?
Is it hard?
What do I eat when I’m out?
So… let me answer those three questions to get us started:

• Do I eat this… or that?
  Q. Do I eat fruit
  A. minimal, it’s nature candy, it has a lot of sugar, so if I’m at my goal weight I’ll eat a bit more than when I’m trying to lose weight.Q. What do I eat for breakfast?
  A. I eat an avocado or some cauliflower rice with an egg and maybe a piece of bacon. When I do eat “Carbs”? I’m much more thoughtful about it (than just eating bread as an example). I’ll eat 1/3 cup oatmeal, knowing it’s a carb, but that it’s healthier than a lot of other breakfast items like bagels, cereal, and such. So, on that item, I eat a small amount, typically add a tablespoon of peanut butter, and grab a strawberry or two and enjoy. I don’t eat it every day, most often once a week. 
  I will eat a potato, but often make a dish and end up eating maybe half a potato as I cut them up and have them distributed around the entire dish, not just a whole potato on my plate. I did read lots about potatoes, and cold potato salad is one of the items that I do eat because of the resistant starch. Resistant starches are starch molecules that resist digestion, functioning kind of like fiber, and I found it works for me.
  There is some interesting newer information on resistant starch, and most often you have to find what works for YOU. Keep track, that is the way you’ll know what is working and what is not.
• How do I make it work… is it hard? 
  I keep track, it’s the easiest way I’ve found to control what goes into my mouth (without keeping track, I tend to get off track really fast). Consistency is key, if you do it all the time, it becomes “normal” and is easier than if you have to “start” from the beginning all the time. The longer I keep track, the better it seems to work.

• What do I eat when I eat out?

  I find items that work for me, I ask for a burger without the bun, and I order seafood (I love it and find it’s usually a great option).  I try to stay away from fried foods and have found them less appealing, as I could eat a ton of French fries and never get full.

• Specifically: If I’m at a taco shop, I opt for tacos and usually eat only 1/2 of the tortilla. If it’s a “restaurant,” I typically order shrimp or salmon with vegetables. If I’m at an Italian restaurant, I’ll order chicken with a vegetable. In my low carb ebook, I have a list of about a dozen items to order when eating out.
• Now, if there is really nothing else to eat but fast food, I’ll just eat it… and move on, the next meal I’ll try to eat more vegetables to balance it out. 

You’ll find my 7-page guide on low-carb eating here. Inside this 7-page low-carb eating guide, you’ll find helpful food ideas, smart swaps, and realistic ways to enjoy flavorful meals without feeling restricted. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by low-carb diets, this guide keeps it simple, approachable, and full of real food you’ll actually want to eat.

If you’re ready for even more low-carb information and recipes, my  30-page low-carb ebook is packed full… with a shopping list to help you navigate the store and items to buy as well as recipes, and other printables to help you. I know it’s helped many so far. I get emails saying how great they are and helped many lose weight.

You’ll also get to see my before/after photos, too. Both the guide and the ebook are full of valuable information that is great for anyone starting or continuing on a low-carb eating journey.

My advice is, do not eat the same things all the time, that is boring and will have you eventually be frustrated, even if you’re losing weight. After some time passes, the foods you eat “too” much of you won’t want at all. Moderation is key. Stay on track with eating well, mix it up.

Try new foods, just leave out the high-calorie carbs. Eating carbs isn’t necessarily “bad” pasta, rice, and bread just tend to be high in calorie and if you are watching what you eat and counting calories, those calories will add up fast, they don’t leave you satisfied long term and keep you searching for more food quicker than if you are eating foods that are more satisfying like high fiber foods that help you feel full longer.

What I do eat that… helps keep me on track while losing weight and maintaining the weight I like to be at. Avocado, Zucchini, Cabbage,  Cauliflower, Cheese, Bacon, lean ground meats, beef, chicken, pork, mushrooms, eggs, lots of colorful vegetables.

The food looks appetizing, we eat with our eyes first! Join my email list and never miss a bite! Get my newest (and most delicious) recipes delivered straight to your inbox.

• Thai Peanut Sweet Potato Noodle Salad
• Teriyaki Pork Chops in the Pressure Cooker
• Zucchini Noodles with Sauce and Cheese
• Banh Mi Meatballs

• Squash Noodle with Eggs and Bacon
• Loaded Cauliflower

• Chicken Satay Meatballs with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce
• Low Carb Pizza
• Chicken Kebat
• Garlic Mushrooms

• Roasted Cabbage with Lemon and Parmesan
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Cauliflower Ham Fried Rice
• Asian BBQ Chicken Marinade

If you’re looking for a particular recipe you’ve seen of mine, be sure to check out more of my LOW CARB RECIPES here. Here are some of my other low-carb recipes:

• Creamy Tomato Chicken
• Deconstructed Chicken Egg Roll
• Greek Spiral Cucumber Salad
• Low Carb Breakfast Portabella Mushroom with Spinach and Egg 
• Thai Curry Chicken
• Avocado Bean Dip
• Zucchini Noodle Lasagna
• Cauliflower Parmesan
• Quinoa Carrot Salad
• Greek Chicken
• Taco Marinated Chicken
• Zucchini Italiano
• Chili Recipe
• Chicken Mozzarella
• Cauliflower and Shrimp Curry

If you’re looking for more than just recipes, YOU WILL WANT my Low Carb EBOOK, it’s full of my journey to making low carb, to how I lost 35 pounds in just a few months eating low carb, what I snack on, what I really eat, and so much more! Get my Low Carb Ebook here!

And do me a favor… sign up to get my emails so I can share more yumminess with you!

The post Simple Low Carb Recipes You’ll Actually Want to Eat first appeared on Created by Diane.

Just one bite of these Stuffed mushrooms with cheese and bacon and you’ll want more!

Mushrooms are so versatile and can be added to so many dishes, sometimes we forget that they are delicious as a main course themselves! I just love when mushrooms are the star of the show, they blend beautifully with all the toasty and smoky flavors brought on by the jalapeno and bacon – and cheese is there to cool it all down and add a creamy, sweet element.

Packed with protein and fiber, these “fun-guys” contain B vitamins as well as a powerful antioxidant called selenium, which supports the immune system – so you can feel good about eating them.

And mushrooms are meaty in texture, they are good on their own, like these Garlic Mushrooms, or as an addition in my Pork Chops in Wine Sauce and these Marinated Mushrooms. There are so many ways to enjoy this ingredient!   

Continue reading: Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

The post Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms first appeared on Created by Diane.

Let’s agree, getting a delicious meal on the table fast is a requirement more often than not!

I served up this dish and it got rave reviews. There are so many reasons to love it, I thought I’d list a few…

1. It’s easy
2. It uses real food (no processed foods)
3. It’s full of BACON and that is always a good idea!

This dish is made in one pot, on the stove, it’s ready in under 30 minutes and as mentioned… it tastes AMAZING!

It starts off with a great flavor combination of butter, garlic, and onion… OMG, the aroma of that alone is intoxicating.

Then add in the chicken and rice,

pour on some chicken broth…

then let it simmer.

Stir in the cheese until smooth.

When it’s done cooking, add in a little heavy cream, some Romano cheese, and BACON. Give it all a quick stir and you’re ready to serve it.

Top with more bacon… yea,

bacon is always good,

and did I mention this is yummy and garlicky too…

yea two great flavors!

It is so flavorful and believe me when you lift the lid off the pot when it simmers… you will smell the amazing flavors, the garlic, and onion… and the rice oh… the rice!

Continue reading: Creamy “CRACK” Chicken and Rice

The post Creamy “CRACK” Chicken and Rice first appeared on Created by Diane.

I cannot count how many times I’ve made this dish… it’s numerous.

I was a huge fan of my Spaghetti and eggs when I ate carbs, but not that I eat primarily low-carb, I make this. 

I love that it is ready so FAST, 

that it has an amazing flavor,

the secret is the sesame oil… so flavorful! But if you don’t have sesame oil, you can use some sesame seeds or a tablespoon of soy sauce.

And you can add in some veggies if you like: some shredded carrrots, broccoli, peas, white onions, and finely diced cabbage are great additions.

And just so you can see how simple this is to make, there’s a VIDEO below.

Continue reading: Bacon and Egg Cauliflower Fried Rice

The post Bacon and Egg Cauliflower Fried Rice first appeared on Created by Diane.

Let’s talk BACON, 

oh, so many options!

Let’s face it, the classic BLT is amazing and delicious and the contrast of salty and crispy with cool sweet tomatoes along with the crunch of lettuce and some creamy mayo with salt and pepper is undeniably great, (be sure to check out my homemade mayo HERE)

but how about some NEW BLT recipes to kick things into high gear!

I love THICK cut bacon, baked up really crisp. Yes, baked take a look HERE for all the detail on how to cook bacon in the oven.

Continue reading: 10 Unique BLT Recipes

The post 10 Unique BLT Recipes first appeared on Created by Diane.