Not long before Christmas I got a surprise package in the mail from Cabot Cheese:
4 flavors of cheese? While I like cheese well enough (and frankly this is why we follow a mostly plant-based diet and are not vegan – I like dairy cheese. I HATE fake cheese…..), I usually eat it in recipes and not plain. The Pepper Jack cheese though? I literally couldn’t put it down. It was hands down the best tasting pepper jack I have had! So after indulging myself on that, I looked for recipes to use some of the other cheddar in. Since I love pumpkin in mac n’ cheese, why not sweet potatoes? I still had a can left over in my pantry. For parents (or wives) of those who “hate” vegetables, adding them to cheese sauce hides it well. Which for my 16-year-old means he doesn’t realize it. The wee ones happen to love taters in all forms though….
Sweet Potato Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 or so cloves)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 15-ounce can Farmer’s Market Organic Sweet Potato Puree
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
- 1 cup frozen peas, preferably petite
- 16 ounces small pasta
- 1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
- 1 tsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven broiler and liberally spray or oil and 8×8″ glass baking pan.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add pasta and cook for time on package. Add peas to the colander, drain pasta slowly over the peas to thaw.
Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium. Add oil and garlic, cook for a minute. Sprinkle flour over, whisk until golden. Slowly whisk in milk till smooth, then add mustard and pepper. Cook, whisking often, until thick and just bubbling. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, then the cheese. Salt to taste and take off the heat.
Gently mix the pasta and sauce, spread in prepared pan.
Tear up the bread into pieces, add to a mini food chopper. Pulse until fine, drizzle in oil and pulse a few more times. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the pasta.
Pop under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, with a careful eye, till browned.
Serves 6 to 8.
FTC Disclaimer: We used complimentary product in this recipe.