Pressure Cooker Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Thank you to Crock-Pot® for sponsoring this post! All views expressed here are my own

I don’t know about you, but I like my Thanksgiving foods to be a little different. I still love fall flavors, but I like to add a little flair to my side dishes. I combined two Thanksgiving favorites (mac and cheese and pumpkin) to create this macaroni and cheese that will be sure to please even your plant-based friends.

The secret to this macaroni and cheese is the 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker. Using the pressure cook setting means this pasta cooks super fast and comes out with the perfect texture. But beyond that, the best part of the CrockPot Express is the crisping lid. Just add it on after pressure cooking, and you can add the most wonderful crispy finish to all your dishes.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 cups pasta of choice (I used Gigli)

• 4 cups water

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 tsp salt, divided

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 1/4 cup minced sage

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Add pasta, water, coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp salt to your Crockpot-Express. Close and lock the lid, and set the cooking time to 4 minutes on high pressure.

2. Once done, press stop, and turn the valve to the steam-release position. Immediately pressure release, and then mix in pumpkin puree, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and 1/4 tsp more salt. Stir until evenly combined.

3. In a small bowl, mix together sage, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle the toppings on top of the mac and cheese. Place the crisping lid onto the cooker. Set pressure temperature to HIGH, and time to 15 minutes. Press start. Once done, the top of the mac and cheese should be crispy and golden. Serve warm.