This Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Pumpkin is just 89 calories per 1/2 cup, making it a great healthy side dish!
It also means you can have 4 servings (2 cups) of this creamy Mac and cheese recipe for just 356 calories. Making it a great “take to work” lunch or vegetarian pasta dinner!
No matter how to choose to serve this pumpkin Mac and cheese recipe, as a side dish or main course, you’ll love the Fall flavors and the cheesy goodness.
You can easily make this pumpkin Mac and cheese gluten free as well, by choosing a gluten free pasta.
Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Pumpkin
What You’ll Find in this Article:
Ingredients in Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese
It’s easy to make a low calorie mac and cheese recipe. You can use these healthy tips in all your favorite Mac and cheese baked recipes!
Low Calorie Tips for Making Homemade Mac and Cheese:
- Olive Oil Spray... save 100’s of calories and lots of fat by using a fine spray and not a heavy drizzle of oil.
- Lots of Veggies… in this recipe we used 2 cups of veggies. The combination of pumpkin and broccoli is so perfect. but you can use any veggies you like.
- Almond Milk… save 100’s of calories by using almond milk. As a bonus, it’s also metabolism boosting. (Note: just make sure to use unsweetened almond milk).
- Sharp Cheese… the sharper the better! Sharp cheese has more flavor, therefore you don’t need as much to get all the cheesy flavor. This helps you save lots of calories!
Shopping List for Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipes:
- Pumpkin (see recipe card below for more vegetable options!)
- Broccoli (see recipe card below for more vegetable options!)
- Olive Oil Spray
- Small shell pasta (or gluten free)
- Butter
- All-purpose flour (or gluten free)
- Unsweetened almond milk (or 1% dairy milk)
- Garlic
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese
This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is healthy and yummy!
You bake the veggies in the same casserole dish that you cook the Mac and cheese in, so don’t worry about cleaning it after you bake the pumpkin and broccoli. Just set it aside until you’re ready to add the pasta.
How to Make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the pumpkin and broccoli to a 9×13 casserole dish, and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Bake the pumpkin and broccoli for 30 minutes.
- While the pumpkin and broccoli cooks, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, continuously, until you have a light brown paste.
- Add in 1 cup of milk and whisk well to remove any lumps. Mix the remaining milk and whole garlic cloves. Increase the heat to medium-high. Mix often, scraping the bottom of the pan often, until the sauce has thickened and coats the spoon. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic cloves and discard.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, and cooked pumpkin and broccoli. Mix well, until all the pasta is coated and the cheese is melted.
- Move to the casserole dish you cooked the pumpkin and broccoli in (you don’t, even need to clean it!). Top with remaining cheese, and spray lightly with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Serve hot.
Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
This low calorie Mac and cheese recipe baked with pumpkin is just 89 calories for a side dish, or 356 calories as a full meal.
You can make this for a side dish tonight, then package up leftovers to take to work tomorrow. It reheats well in the microwave (2 minutes).
More Low Calorie Pasta Recipes:
Low Calorie Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed pumpkin (see above for swaps)
- 1 cup broccoli (see above for swaps)
- Olive Oil Spray
- 13-ounce box of small shell pasta (or gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or gluten-free)
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk (or 1% dairy milk)
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the pumpkin and broccoli to a 9×13 casserole dish, and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Bake the pumpkin and broccoli for 30 minutes.
- While the pumpkin and broccoli cooks, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, continuously, until you have a light brown paste.
- Add in 1 cup of milk and whisk well to remove any lumps. Mix the remaining milk and whole garlic cloves. Increase the heat to medium-high. Mix often, scraping the bottom of the pan often, until the sauce has thickened and coats the spoon. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic cloves and discard.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, and cooked pumpkin and broccoli. Mix well, until all the pasta is coated and the cheese is melted.
- Move to the casserole dish you cooked the pumpkin and broccoli in (you don't, even need to clean it!). Top with remaining cheese, and spray lightly with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
- Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition and Calories in Baked Mac and Cheese
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Article History:
- Originally written and published October 21, 2021 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on September 11, 2023 by Audrey Johns
