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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.

Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2014

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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • 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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  • Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain; set aside.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.)

  • 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

about 1 1/4 cups
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.

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

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