This pumpkin ale mac and cheese is (obviously) intended for inclusion in a Halloween feast. So its totally legit to call it Halloween Mac and Cheese. The black rotini, the strikingly orange cheese sauce, the gamut of flavors dancing together in this seemingly simple dish.
- Go straight to the Recipe Card of
- Read on for a few relevant tips on how to make this beer cheese sauce.
Pumpkin Ale in Cheese Sauce
Once again we reached out for a pumpkin ale as an ingredient. 'Tis the season after all. Pumpkin ale is just so perfectly suited for a cheddar beer sauce with generous dashes of smoked paprika and turmeric for extra flavor (but mostly for color intensity).
You can opt in or you can modify the pumpkin ale mac and cheese by tweaking the ingredients of the sauce. I include a non-beer based version in the recipe card below, in case you want to prepare it for children or simply hate beer cheese sauces...cannot see why you would, but still:)
Not using pumpkin ale will lead to the loss of its characteristic pumpkin spice flavors which come together so well with sharp cheddar and the smoked paprika and turmeric coloring agents. So you will have to add some actual pumpkin spice. Just be careful to not overdo it. You want hints of it, not to make it the star of the show.
When drinking pumpkin ale the aromas and taste of the spice can feel overwhelming (they do to Chris and I). When using the ale to cook with the pumpkin spice becomes much less intense, even elegant. The real loss in not using pumpkin ale however is concentrated in the loss of the delicious and deep maltiness the ale contributes to the sauce. This cannot be made up for in the non-beer version.
Beer Pairings
Speaking strictly color wise, if you like to drink pumpkin ales (and not solely use them as cooking with beeringredient) do pair this fun dish with one:) These ales frequently display deep orange/amber hues perfectly complementing Halloween decor. Of course, you could also go with a pitch black Schwarzbier.
Joking aside, both styles of beer will support the flavor profile of our pumpkin ale mac and cheese with their sweetness and carbonation to cut through the fattiness of the cheese sauce...After all, most beers pair well with most cheeses. So if you want to grab an amber ale - great choice!
How to Serve It
To achieve maximum visual amusem*nt with this Halloween pumpkin ale mac and cheese you must do the unthinkable.
You must resist the urge to generously coat the macaroni in the cheddar sauce prior to serving. Doing this would mean losing out on the beautiful contrast between the black and the orange.
Instead of tossing the macaroni straight into the sauce, drizzle some olive oil over them so they don't stick together and serve with a generous side of sauce to be poured over the blackness. Once the visual contrast has been devoured by the eyes and they have feasted in their own right, the macaroni and the cheddar sauce can be united, both still very warm and bursting with flavor.
As a last talking point - I know that you have been asking yourself - what makes the macaroni black. In our case the answer is black beans. I did in fact try to purchase squid ink colored macaroni, but was only able to find spaghetti or tagliatelle. Which could have worked beautifully, we could have used our pumpkin ale meat sauce(most certainly color enhanced with smoked paprika and turmeric) with black spaghetti or tagliatelle, but luckily I happened upon these gorgeous black bean rotini made from organic black bean flour. At Trader Joe's, one of my favorite places to shop ever. So if there is one near you - they have your black rotini.And with black rotini you pretty much need our pumpkin ale cheese sauce.
Halloween Pumpkin Ale Mac and Cheese
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Black and orange with amazing flavor profile! Delicious pumpkin ale cheddar cheese sauce, color enhanced with smoked paprika and turmeric and drizzled over black bean rotini for stunning visual effect. Non-beer based sauce version included.
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz pumpkin ale
- ½ pound a little over is OK of shredded sharp cheddar (works out to 3 cups full)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon flour
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon + a pinch more turmeric
- ½ teaspoon + a pinch more smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz black bean rotini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- **Alternative Ingredients, not using beer:
- ½ pound a little over is OK of shredded sharp cheddar (works out to 3 cups full)
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- pinch of pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon + a pinch more turmeric
- ½ teaspoon + a pinch more smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz black bean rotini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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Instructions
- Shred the sharp cheddar, coat with the flour and set aside to reach room temperature.
- Meanwhile, bring about 4 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil and add the rotini to it. Cook for about 7-8 mins for al dente.
- Drain, return to pot and drizzle with the olive oil, then serve in desired dish.
- While the pasta is cooking, over medium heat melt the butter, mix in the additional 2 tablespoon flour, the paprika and turmeric and stir to form a roux.
- Slowly add and mix in the pumpkin ale.
- Remove from heat and begin adding the flour coated shredded cheddar cup by cup, slowly stirring it in as it melts. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately in a small dish next to the pasta and drizzle it over it table side.
- **Instructions for Alternative version (not using beer):
- Shred the cheddar cheese and set aside to reach room temperature.
- Meanwhile, bring about 4 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil and add the rotini to it. Cook for about 7-8 mins for al dente.
- Drain, return to pot and drizzle with the olive oil, then serve in desired dish.
- While the pasta is cooking, over medium low heat melt the butter and add cream, stir to combine well, wait until warmed through and hot to the touch and remove from heat.
- Add the shredded cheddar cup by cup, slowly stirring it in as it melts. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately in a small dish next to the pasta and drizzle it over it table side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 381Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 101gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 16gSugar: 4gProtein: 36g
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