No, this dish is not weird! It's good and good for you! Even better, Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese is easy, especially when done in the slow cooker. That means you can put the ingredients into the slow cooker and let them cook, mostly hands-off, until dinner time. The dish is creamy and cheesy, like macaroni and cheese and, with the addition of lean ground turkey and pumpkin puree, "healthier" than a more traditional pasta casserole. Although lighter than traditional macaroni and cheese, this version is still rich tasting thanks to the pumpkin puree, neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese), and a few sweet spices. I use penne pasta in the recipe, but elbow macaroni or any similar size pasta will do. I also top the dish with Swiss cheese, but use the type of cheese you like and have available. A light scattering of Parmesan and mozzarella or even of cheddar would work. Leftovers heat well in the microwave and make great lunches, especially on busy days when you want something warm and comforting. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Ground Turkey and Pumpkin Pasta -- Serves 4+
3 teaspoons of canola oil, divided
3 cups of small pasta (like penne)
1 large onion, chopped
16 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 percent)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of dried sage
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 14-16-ounce can of pumpkin puree (or use 2 cups of winter squash puree)
1 1/2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or reconstituted reduced sodium chicken
"Better Than Bullion)
1/4 cup of white wine or water
1 cup of milk (low-fat is fine)
8 ounces of softened Neufchatel/light cream cheese
6 slices of Swiss Cheese
Spritz the insert of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add a teaspoon of oil and the pasta. Stir the pasta to coat it with the oil, turn the slow cooker on to high heat, and put on the cover. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Crumble in the ground turkey. Add the salt and pepper and saute the turkey and onion mixture together for about 10 minutes or until the onion has softened and the turkey has cooked through. Add the cinnamon, allspice, garlic powder, sage, and dried thyme and stir them into the turkey mixture. Stir in the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Neufchatel/light cream cheese until it is blended into the turkey/pumpkin mixture. Stir in the milk. Taste the sauce and, if you think it's necessary, add a little more salt. Turn off the heat under the sauce and add the turkey mixture to the slow cooker with the pasta. Stir the ingredients in the slow cooker to blend them together. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pasta for about an hour on high, then turn the heat to low and continue cooking the pasta until it is soft and the liquid has mostly been absorbed--about 2 1/2-3 hours. Remove the cover of the slow cooker. Place the slices of cheese on top of the pasta and recover the slow cooker for a few minutes or until the cheese melts. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the pasta stand for 5-10 minutes before serving it.
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