JACK ‘N CHEESE BOWLS

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Meanwhile, using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops off of 4 mini pumpkins and remove the seeds. When removing the pumpkin tops, pop them off with your knife and gently pull at the stem so that the stem doesn’t break off. The seeds can be discarded, but they can also be reserved for roasting, much like larger pumpkin seeds. To cut the eyes into your pumpkin, make 3 cuts for each eye with the pairing knife and then pop out the triangular pieces of pumpkin. For the mouth drill a hole into the pumpkin by twirling the tip of your knife into the pumpkin until you have a mouth-sized hole.

Once the mini jack-o’-lantern bowls are cut, lightly brush olive oil over the insides and outsides of the pumpkin bottoms and tops and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a 400º oven with the tops on the pumpkins. The cook time may vary depending on the size of your pumpkins. The pumpkins are done when the inner flesh is fork tender.

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, In a saucepan melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.

Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.

Finally, remove the cooked pumpkins from the oven and spoon Mac ’n Cheese into each one. Garnish with shredded cheddar and top with the pumpkin lids. Serve immediately. Note that pumpkin skin is tough, so the flesh should be eaten out of the pumpkin like a bowl and the skin should be left behind. Finish with a generous pinch of your favorite Sel Magique Salt Blend.

Recipe found on simpleasthatblog.com