This week on the channel +901K views this week

Pumpkin skeptic SAM THE COOKING GUY puts it in mac and cheese

Bacon, sharp white cheddar and sage breadcrumbs make the case, alongside a new habanero-loaded Hellfire Burger.

Channel:

SAM THE COOKING GUY Story of November 2, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.

Trust Me on This…

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

1:10Render thick-cut bacon, then cook onions and garlic in the reserved fat.
2:13Form a flour roux and whisk in milk gradually to keep the sauce smooth.
3:45Add Dijon mustard, Monterey Jack and sharp white cheddar to the sauce.
4:20Stir in pumpkin purée and cayenne, then combine with pasta, pasta water and bacon.
5:25Top with panko, Parmesan, dried sage and melted butter before baking at 375°F for 30 minutes.

Sam isn't selling this dish as a pumpkin enthusiast. "Not the biggest pumpkin fan. Love to look at them, I love to see them carved," he says before turning pumpkin purée into bacon mac and cheese.

"Trust Me on This…" is the most-watched of SAM THE COOKING GUY's two new uploads, with roughly 145,000 views. The distinction matters to Sam: this is pumpkin purée, not pumpkin spice. He builds the sauce on onions and garlic cooked in bacon fat, adds Monterey Jack and sharp white cheddar, then stirs in the pumpkin and cayenne. Even the pasta is a cupboard clear-out, combining leftover shapes before everything goes into a skillet under buttery sage, Parmesan and panko crumbs.

The comments offer alternative routes through the squash patch. Viewers suggest butternut squash, while several make a case for sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin. One reports making the mac and cheese for friends; another recalls a memorable bowl of pumpkin soup while climbing Kilimanjaro.

Friday brought a rather less gentle proposition: "I Made the HELLFIRE BURGER… and Immediately Regretted It". The double bacon cheeseburger layers pepper jack, roasted jalapeños and hot honey with roasted habanero garlic mayo. It's already close to the pasta's total and is currently the channel's fastest-moving upload. October's Japanese-inspired garlic butter and soy fries also remain active, making a conveniently indulgent side.

Across the channel, the week brought about 900,000 views, while the subscriber count slipped slightly. Daily viewing is a little below its usual level. Nearby food channels had busier weeks, including The Bearded Butchers and Sweet Impact, but Sam's own menu supplied a clear contrast: pumpkin folded into comfort food, then peppers piled onto a burger.

Published on Trari

Where next?

Also in Cooking and foodViews jump 15x the channel's usual paceGareth Leonard's pizza stop is a shared San Diego apartmentHis visit to a home pizza maker with a thousands-long waiting list passes a million views amid a sharp jump across the channel.Channel: Gareth Leonard · Story of November 2, 2026

A different discovery todayA video worth knowingNileBlue's skull candy hits every taste at once, but no flavorA sweetener thousands of times stronger than sugar, a famously bitter compound and pure capsaicin go into the brass-molded drops, and the verdict surprises eve…Channel: NileBlue · Story of November 2, 2026

What viewers say

Sam, at our house we no longer make pumpkin pie. Its sweet potato pie only for us. Would love to see a sweet potato pie episode.
@westonbarney3737See it on YouTube
This was/is awesome. Made it for friends who declared it the best Mac'n'Cheese they'd ever had.
@ameliaanne1024See it on YouTube
In Africa (Tanzania specifically while climbing Kilimanjaro) I had a bowl of one of the best soups ever... pumpkin soup. Totally worth the trip. Not sure if it was the altitude, or if it was just that good, but it was amazing.
@Trickards1See it on YouTube

3 more comments

I’m not the biggest pumpkin fan either! Maybe a pie? I’ll just make a sweet potato pie and be 10x happier.
@myjewelry4uSee it on YouTube
you gotta try squash in your scrambled eggs
@rewscottSee it on YouTube
wowser.....I will admit that I'm NOT at all a pumpkin guy, but THIS...I mean THIS looks like something I'd absolutely try!!!! Thanks!!!!
@richevans8109See it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube