Velvety Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese with Fresh Thyme
I have a respect for comfort foods and I think when you have a good thing (ie mac and cheese) you shouldn’t mess around with it. But sometimes it is the middle of the week and you had wings and beer for dinner the night before and you want to have something healthy.
This velvety sweet potato mac and cheese checks all the mid-week meal boxes, and is vegan by default. I love a chickpea pasta here (like Banza) because it makes it a complete meal with the added protein.
I liked how this tasted without the addition of any cheese, but it would be great with just a little cheddar or gruyere thrown into the sauce after you blend it. You could also serve this with additional veggies (broccoli would be nice) to kick it up another healthy notch!
Have fun!
- drizzle of olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks (about 3-4 cups)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 1/2-2 cups good stock (veg or chicken)
- 8 oz pasta, cooked according to package
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or gruyere)
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In a medium nonstick pan over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and add sweet potatoes and garlic when oil is hot. Shake pan to combine with the oil and then add salt pepper and red pepper flakes or cayenne. Saute, shaking the pan occasionally for about 3-5 minutes so that the potatoes get a little color but not too much.
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Add stock to the pan and lay thyme sprigs on top. Cover and let simmer (reduce heat a little if you need to) about 15 minutes or until potatoes are super soft. You may need to add a little more stock if you lid doesn't fit tightly, as a lot of steam may escape and the liquid will reduce too much. I had to add about 1/2 cup more.
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When potatoes are done remove the sprigs of thyme and discard. There should be a few leaves that have fallen off and that's cool- you want that.
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Add everything to a high powered blender (like a Vitamix). Starting on low and increasing speed, blend until the liquid is totally smooth and lightens in color. You may need more stock if necessary, which you can do while you're blending in order to achieve a silky texture. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the cooked pasta right away while the sauce is still hot. (See notes)
To add a little richness you can add some cheese to the sauce when it comes out of the blender (about 1/2 cup) and return it to the saucepan over low heat just to melt the cheese a bit. Cheddar, a jack cheese or gruyere would be nice. You can also grate some parmesan on top along with some fresh ground black pepper.
