Photo of Mac-and-cheese donuts by WW

Mac-and-cheese donuts

4
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
Don’t rinse the pasta—the starch left on it is essential to help the sauce stick to the macaroni.

Ingredients

Uncooked pasta

2½ cup(s), elbow macaroni variety

Salted butter

1 tbsp(s)

All-purpose flour

2 tbsp(s)

Fat-free skim milk

¾ cup(s)

Canned pumpkin

1 cup(s), puree

Reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1 cup(s), shredded, shredded

Kosher salt

1 tsp(s)

Paprika

½ tsp(s)

Garlic powder

½ tsp(s)

Olive oil cooking spray

6 spray(s)

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbsp(s), finely grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 218.3°C (425ºF).
  2. Cook macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt if desired, and reducing cooking time by 2 minutes so it is just al dente. Drain macaroni in a colander; set aside (do not rinse).
  3. Place butter in same pot; set over medium heat. After butter melts, stir in flour; cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Add pumpkin puree, Cheddar cheese, salt, paprika, and garlic powder; stir well until all ingredients are combined and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in cooked macaroni.
  4. Coat two 6-hole nonstick doughnut pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly among holes; divide macaroni mixture among them. Bake until tops are golden brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
  5. Let pans sit for 10 minutes and then invert doughnuts onto a dish; serve.
  6. Serving size: 1 donut

Notes

If you don’t have donut pans, you can bake the macaroni and cheese in a muffin tin or in a large baking dish.