Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Name: Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles (2 cups); 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces); 2 cups nonfat milk; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 small clove garlic, minced; 1 ¼ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; ½ cup frozen peas, thawed; 3 tablespoons coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip); 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

12 Ratings
11 Reviews

Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

EatingWell Test Kitchen

Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2014

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Recipe Summary

total:

30 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Position a rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish with cooking spray.

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Step 2
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Step 3
Meanwhile, prick sweet potato with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 7 to 10 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk milk, flour and garlic in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking frequently, until steaming and hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat.
Step 5
As soon as the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, cut open and scoop the flesh into the steaming milk. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, transfer to a blender and puree just until smooth, then return to the pot; use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)
Step 6
Add cheese, mustard, salt and pepper and stir until the cheese melts. Add the pasta and peas to the sauce and stir to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs and oil and sprinkle on the pasta. Broil on the upper rack until the top is lightly browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Tips

Tip: To make your own coarse dry breadcrumbs to top this baked mac & cheese, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread, tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, 10 to 15 minutes. (One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.)

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:

about 1 1/4 cups

Per Serving:

481 calories; protein 23.9g; carbohydrates 68g; dietary fiber 9.8g; sugars 12.6g; fat 14.2g; saturated fat 7.3g; cholesterol 38.5mg; vitamin a iu 10890.6IU; vitamin c 13.4mg; folate 71mcg; calcium 436.5mg; iron 3.1mg; magnesium 123.7mg; potassium 620.4mg; sodium 518.8mg; thiamin 0.5mg.

Exchanges:

4 starch, 1/2 nonfat milk, 1 high-fat meat, 1/2 fat

12 Ratings

5 star values: 0
4 star values: 2
3 star values: 4
2 star values: 1
1 star values: 5

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Jen O'Leary

01/22/2022

It was too sweet tasting and I didn’t like the consistency. I tried adding more shredded cheese on top, which helped, but my daughter wasn’t fooled.

Kathylzee

04/28/2020

This recipe went together quickly and I even doubled it. We liked this recipe, but I have a few recommendations. Grate fresh, good quality sharp cheddar cheese and fresh ground pepper for deeper flavor. While I did microwave the sweet potatoes, next time I will roast the sweet potatoes as they taste richer roasted. I also baked this for 30 minutes at 350° instead of broiling and the consistency was spot on to regular Mac & Cheese. Overall, it was tasty.

Ashley Kay

03/18/2018

Really blah. Not as cheesy and yummy as I thought it would be.

EatingWell User

03/06/2016

Better Baked We love sweet potatoes so decided to give this recipe a try. After transferring to baking dish noticed it was to soupy. I decided to bake the casserole at 350 for 20 minutes. It came out perfect. We are not big mac and cheese eaters, however, I will make this recipe again.

eveningmoon

05/21/2014

GloopyI was not expecting this to taste like normal macaroni and cheese but I also wasn't expecting it to taste like vomit. This was disgusting. The texture and flavor were both unappetizing. If this is what healthy mac and cheese tastes like then I think I will just stop eating mac and cheese. Pros: HealthyCons: Disgusting

EatingWell Member

05/21/2014

Gloopy I was not expecting this to taste like normal macaroni and cheese but I also wasn't expecting it to taste like vomit. This was disgusting. The texture and flavor were both unappetizing. If this is what healthy mac and cheese tastes like then I think I will just stop eating mac and cheese. Pros: Healthy Cons: Disgusting

foodfiend

01/16/2014

Great wIth a few tweaks We really liked this, but I made a few tweaks on the frist try that probably made the difference (judging from some of the reviews). I: used coconut milk instead of cows milk, used NY extra-sharp cheddar, added an 8-ounce can of diced tomatoes, well-drained, added 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, reduced the dijon to 2 teaspoons. I also sprinkled the top (on the breadcrumbs) with smoked paprika before broiling. DH sprinkled some hot pepper sauce over his portion, and we both enjoyed it very much.

EatingWell Member

01/02/2014

Very bland I found this to be a very bland and tasteless meal, with quite a lot of work going into it. My husband suggested adding tuna, which I think would liven it up a bit! Pros: none Cons: very bland, a lot of work

tracyrendel

01/02/2014

Very blandI found this to be a very bland and tasteless meal, with quite a lot of work going into it. My husband suggested adding tuna, which I think would liven it up a bit!Pros: noneCons: very bland, a lot of work

EatingWell Member

12/31/2013

Sweet Here's the thing about adding sweet potatoes to mac 'n' cheese: you get sweet mac 'n' cheese. Not my thing, but YMMV. The colors are pretty and I like the crunch from the peas. Pros: healthful, easy, fast Cons: sweet

susanbeachy

12/31/2013

SweetHere's the thing about adding sweet potatoes to mac 'n' cheese: you get sweet mac 'n' cheese. Not my thing, but YMMV. The colors are pretty and I like the crunch from the peas.Pros: healthful, easy, fastCons: sweet

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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Nutrition Profile:

Ingredients

Directions

Tips

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (11)

All Reviews for Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Nutrition Profile:

Ingredients

Directions

Tips

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (11)

All Reviews for Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese