Light(er) Sweet Potato Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe

This light(er) macaroni and cheese recipe gets a burst of flavor and texture from mashed sweet potato and a great sharp cheddar cheese.

I’m going to make this short and sweet because there is a lot of mac and cheese to get to. I’m not just talking about this light version, which gets much of its creaminess from mashed sweet potatoes, but the other creative mac and cheese recipes from a bunch of fellow food bloggers.

You see, this post is my contribution to Mac and Cheese Mania, a fun and gooey evented hosted by Rachel of Rachel Cooks and Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny.

And there’s a way for you to join in on the fun.

Light Sweet Potato Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe | cookincanuck.com

If you have a family favorite mac and cheese recipe, head over either to Nutmeg Nanny or Rachel Cooks to link-up your recipe for a chance to win some pretty fun prizes (more details on their sites). And you don’t not need to have a food blog to enter!

Let’s put the sweet potato mac and cheese recipe in the spotlight for the moment. I lightened this panko-crusted baked pasta dish by using skim milk to make the cheese sauce. Does this make it watery and any less creamy? Not a chance.

Instead the richness comes from the mashed sweet potato and an easy cheese sauce thickened with a quick roux (olive oil with flour, in this case). The cheese sauce is mixed with a little Dijon mustard and grated nutmeg for an extra layer of flavor.

One of the tricks to putting lots of flavor into a lightened-up baked pasta dish is to use good-quality cheese. In this case, I used a great sharp white cheddar cheese that melted beautifully and packed a punch of flavor with just a small amount of cheese.

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 11- by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork. Cook in a microwave until the sweet potato is very tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and, when cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a shallow dish. With the back of a fork, mash the sweet potato until well-mashed and almost smooth.

In a large nonstick saucepan, cook the elbow pasta about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In the same saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

While whisking, gradually pour the vegetable broth and skim milk into the flour mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the mashed sweet potato, grated cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl stir together the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake until the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler for 1 minute, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Watch carefully so that the breadcrumbs don’t burn. Serve.

• Be sure to check out the other Mac and Cheese Mania recipes:
• Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese by Heather’s Dish
• Buffalo Cheddar Mac and Cheese by Eats Well With Others
• Creamy Spinach Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese with Gouda by Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Macaroni and Cheese Fritters by Amuse Your Bouche
• Skinny Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole by A Zesty Bite
• Creamy Pancetta + Leek Macaroni and Cheese by Simply Scratch
• Smoked Bacon Mac and Cheese by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Pizza Mac and Cheese by Very Culinary
• Crab Mac and Cheese by Dine & Dish
• Bacon & Eggs Breakfast Mac & Cheese by Sweet Remedy
• Fried Mac & Cheese Balls by The Little Kitchen
• Sweet Pork Macaroni and Cheese by Oh, Sweet Basil
• Butternut Squash Quinoa Mac n’ Cheese Bake by Queen of Quinoa
• Lightened Up Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese by Prevention RD
• Butternut Mac and Cheese with Pretzel Crust by Healthy. Delicious.
• Skinny Greek Mac and Cheese with Crunchy Pita Chip Topping by The Law Student’s Wife
• Potato Skin Mac and Cheese by Eat Your Heart Out
• Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese by Pocket Change Gourmet
• Bacon Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls by Miss in the Kitchen
• Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese by Crunchy Creamy Sweet
• Blue Cheese Bechamel Mac and Cheese by Sweetphi
• Korean Mac & Cheese by Cooking with Books
• Black and Blue Mac and Cheese by Fabtastic Eats
• Tomato and Leek Mac and Cheese by Susie Freaking Homemaker
• Healthier Mac & Cheese with Chipotle Peppers by Go Gingham
• Mac and Cheese Ice Cream by Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
• Blue Cheese & Bacon Macaroni & Cheese by Gimme Some Oven
• Poutine Mac and Cheese with Andouille Gravy by Climbing Grier Mountain
• Double Smoked Chicken Mac and Cheese by Girl Carnivore
• Creamy Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese with Peas and Bacon by Running to the Kitchen
• Nudel Gratin by Crumbs and Chaos
• Mushroom and Truffle Sea Salt White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese by Big Bear’s Wife
• Roasted Poblano and Goat Cheese Mac by Daisy at Home
• Creamy Cauliflower ‘n Cheese with Bacon by Barefeet in the Kitchen
• Wisconsin Cheese, Brats, and Onion Macaroni and Cheese by a farmgirl’s dabbles
• Spinach Queso Mac & Cheese by Bake Your Day
• Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese with a Pancetta Parmesan Crust by Mountain Mama Cooks
• French Onion Mac & Cheese by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Healthier Macaroni and Cheese by Texanerin Baking
• Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese by CafeTerraBlog
• Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Peppers by Cook the Story
• Jack Daniels Mac and Cheese by The Slow Roasted Italian
• Lobster Mac and Cheese by FoodieCrush
• Green Chili 5-cheese Baked Mac and Cheese by A Southern Fairytale
• Homemade Elbow Noodle Tutorial + a Recipe for Roasted Veggie Mac by Bakeaholic Mama
• Salsa Verde Mac-n-Cheese (two ways) by Eat2Gather
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Crispy Panko Topping by The Lemon Bowl
• Light(er) Sweet Potato Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe
• Calories 310.9 / Total Fat 9.0g / Saturated Fat 3.7g / Cholesterol 17.9mg / Sodium 477.1mg / Total Carbohydrates 45.4g / Fiber 6.0g / Sugars 5.8g / Protein 13.1g / WW (Old Points) 6 / WW (Points+) 8
• Ingredients
• 1 lb. sweet potato
• 13 oz. whole wheat elbow-shaped pasta
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 1/4 cups skim milk
• 6 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 11- by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork. Cook in a microwave until the sweet potato is very tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and, when cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a shallow dish. With the back of a fork, mash the sweet potato until well-mashed and almost smooth.

In a large nonstick saucepan, cook the elbow pasta about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In the same saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

While whisking, gradually pour the vegetable broth and skim milk into the flour mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the mashed sweet potato, grated cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl stir together the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake until the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler for 1 minute, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Watch carefully so that the breadcrumbs don't burn. Serve.

Notes

From the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com

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Mac and Cheese Mania is being sponsored by Door to Door Organics and OXO.

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