This creamy sweet potato mac and cheese is packed with vegetables and loaded with toppings – crunchy toasted panko breadcrumbs, savory shiitake mushrooms, creamy avocado chunks, and fresh herbs. The creamy cheese sauce is made with sweet potato and carrots, and is made extra savory with nutritional yeast and cream cheese.
Recipe Notes:
Vegan: For a vegan version, you can omit the cream cheese or replace it with a non-dairy substitute.
Sweet Potato Prep: This recipe calls for a cooked sweet potato and there are a couple of options for cooking a sweet potato – the oven or the microwave. The microwave is much quicker, but the oven works well, too. If opting for the microwave, wash and dry the sweet potato, then use a fork to poke holes in it about 4 times. Microwave 4-5 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender. Carefully peel off the skin. If opting for baking, preheat the oven to 425F and poke holes into the sweet potato with a fork about 4 times. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes until tender. Carefully peel off the skin.
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 3/4 cup sweet potato, cooked and peeled
- 1 Tbsp yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup carrots, sliced
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking)
- 3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened (you can use your preferred non-dairy or dairy milk)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 6-8 leaves basil, minced and whole leaves
- 10 stems cilantro, minced and whole sprigs
- 2 green onions, sliced
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
- Cook pasta per package instructions, lightly salting the water. *REMEMBER TO SAVE 1/2 CUP PASTA WATER*
- In a pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat in oil. Toast breadcrumbs until they start to brown, stirring consistently, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan over medium heat, add shiitake mushrooms and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pot to the stove later use.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, combine cooked sweet potato, onion, carrots, cream cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic, pasta water, almond milk, and salt. Blend until completely smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add water a Tbsp at a time until it reaches a thick, yet pourable consistency.
- Add the sauce to the pasta in the pot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once sauce is warmed, carefully stir in the pasta.
- Serve the pasta topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs, minced cilantro and basil, avocado, green onions, and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with whole basil and cilantro leaves.
