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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese is a great way to amp up your favorite gooey, carby dinner. Sweet Potatoes not only add vitamins but also amazing depth of flavor. You'll be so excited to dig in.

So I got my annual back to school cold which is normally just really annoying. I felt like crap on the busiest week I've had so far, and it totally wiped me out. But on top of that, I felt completely conspicuous. Every time I coughed in a totolly normal, not continuous way, I was sure I was going to get sent home for two weeks which would unravel my entire work universe.

We live in a really weird world right now. A common cold scares the crap out of everyone, the sky is orange in California, and it feels like we're half a second from spinning completely out of control. As the Obamas say, we've gotta vote like our lives depend on it. But maybe we should also eat some comfort food while we're waiting around for things to blow up.

This Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese is simple to make and so tasty. Sweet potatoes are actually pretty good for you, so it's perfect for picky eaters. I mean, I'm still tricking myself into eating vegetables, so I'm sure kids will love it. It's that cozy, comforting food that was just made for chilly autumn days. Who cares if it's raining when you've got something this good to eat.

We're mixing together salty feta and gooey cheddar along with the mashed sweet potato. And there's a sprinkling of dried sage (use fresh if you can get it) on top to make it extra awesome.

How to make Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

As with any pasta recipe, start by filling a pot halfway with water, and get it over high heat. Waiting for the water to boil always takes the longest. You're actually going to boil your chopped sweet potatoes in the water first, then remove them using a slotted spoon before boiling your pasta in the same pot. We're saving time and water. That's conservation, baby.

Over in a saucepan, we're going to make the usual cream sauce by whisking together melted butter and flour, then slowly stirring in some milk to create a creamy sauce. That gets some mustard powder and paprika added to it for flavor, plus some salt and pepper. I find this recipe needs to be pretty heavily seasoned, so make sure you're layering in your salt throughout.

Once all our disparate parts are cooked, we can start bringing them together. Mash your sweet potatoes in a big bowl until smooth, then fold in the cooked pasta. Next stir in the feta, followed by the cream sauce, then the cheese. Taste for seasoning. You'll probably want to add more salt. Once everything's combined, transfer this to a couple of individual ramekins or pie dishes, or to one big casserole. Sprinkle on some sage, and bake it in the oven until it's bubbly and browned. All the details are in the recipe card below.

Life is crazy, but Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese is awesome. Close the curtains, put on your favorite movie that you've seen a million times, and indulge in a little comfort. You've earned it.

Looking for more awesome mac and cheese recipes? Try this Easy Garlic Mac & Cheese or Spicy Bacon Mac & Cheese.

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese is a great way to amp up your favorite gooey, carby dinner. Sweet Potatoes not only add vitamins but also amazing depth of flavor. You'll be so excited to dig in.

Author: Renee Rendall
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Baked
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

250 grams sweet potatoes
150 grams penne or other short pasta
2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
1-½ tablespoons all-purpose or plain flour
250 ml whole milk
½ teaspoon mustard powder
⅛ teaspoon paprika plus extra for dusting
40 grams feta cheese
70 grams shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
¼ teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C (400F) and put a large pot of water on to boil.
Peel your sweet potatoes and chop them into roughly 1-inch chunks. We're going to mash them later, so they don't need to be pretty. When the water is boiling, add a fat pinch of salt, then drop in your chopped sweet potatoes. Cook them for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.
Remove sweet potatoes with a slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or a fork until relatively smooth. We're not looking for baby food.
Once your water is boiling again, you can drop in your pasta. Cook it a minute shy of what it says on the package so it doesn't come out of the oven mushy. Drain your pasta.
While all that is cooking, you can also make your cream sauce. Add the butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium low heat. Then add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Let this cook for about a minute until it starts to smell nutty. Add your milk about a quarter to a half cup at a time. Whisk the mixture after each addition to make sure it's smooth before ading more milk. Cook and stir until it starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in the mustard powder, paprika, and some salt and pepper. We will be adding cheese later, so don't oversalt at this point.
Now we can start bring everything together. Fold your cooked pasta into your mashed sweet potatoes. Then crumble in your feta cheese and stir that through the mixture as well. Next, stir in the cream sauce, followed by the shredded cheddar. Give it a taste to check for seasoning. I felt like I needed another pinch of salt at this point.
Transfer your macaroni mixture to either two individual dishes or one larger casserole dish. Sprinkle a little extra cheddar and the dried sage over each dish, then pop them in the oven. I like to put the individual dishes onto a baking sheet to catch any drips and make it easier to get things in and out of the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let them cool just long enough for the cheese to stop being molten, about five minutes. Dig in and enjoy.