Sweet Potato Mac n’Cheese

I don’t think I’ve met anyone that doesn’t like mac n’cheese. Who doesn’t love a bowl of macaroni covered in creamy gooey cheesy goodness?

If you’re dairy and gluten intolerant, I’m sure you’re cursing me at this moment as you’d love to dive into a bowl of mac n’cheese, but your tummy wouldn’t be so pleased with you! I know the feeling. I avoid gluten and dairy 90% of the time, but there are definitely some treats and slip ups here and there. 

Enter Sweet Potato Mac n’Cheese. No gluten or dairy here! Creamy and gooey and almost cheesy like, this recipe is sure to please. Of course, if you can handle diary (always buy the best quality!), then you can feel free to sprinkle some on top. Some parmesano reggiano would be nice 😉 

My boyfriend loves mac n’cheese and every so often we try to whip up a health conscious version to indulge in. This one really does the trick! 

You can also try my Butternut Squash Mac n’Cheese recipe, or my Gluten Free Mac n’Cheese, which contains dairy and has been a fan favourite so far 😉 I think it’s the cheesy crust that wins everyone over!

In the meantime, you can ditch the dairy and still enjoy a creamy bowl of mac n’ cheese. This recipe will surely win you over. The sweet potato (which is loaded with potassium, magnesium and vitamin C) lends the perfect creaminess to this recipe and replaces the dairy.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Mac n'Cheese
Serves 4
Write a review
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound elbow macaroni (I buy GoGo Quinoa brand)
  2. 3 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1/3 cup Bobs Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
  4. 1 1/3 cup mashed cooked peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium sweet potato)
  5. 3 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
  6. 2 teaspoons sea salt
  7. Fresh black pepper
  8. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  9. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  10. 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
  11. 1 teaspoon lime juice (optional)
  12. 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. To cook sweet potato: Peel and cut sweet potato into 2 inch chunks. Add to a pot, cover with water and bring to a broil. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until sweet potato becomes soft. Approximately 15 minutes. Mash and set aside 1 1/3 cup.
  2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, make a 'paste' by whisking the olive oil and flour over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. It will become clumpy.
  4. Add mashed sweet potato, almond milk, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, coconut aminos, and lime juice to the saucepan and bring to a slight boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the sauce thickens, 3-5 minutes.
  5. Whisk until smooth. Some sweet potato chunks may remain. This is fine.
  6. Add rosemary and combine.
  7. Add cooked pasta to the large saucepan and mix well until all ingredients are combined.
  8. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Adapted from From Chef Chloe
Adapted from From Chef Chloe
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
 Happy Cooking!

Samantha xo

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Cheesy, Gooey, Delicious Gluten Free Mac n’ Cheese for Meatless Monday

I love the food network! If you’re a foodie like me I’m sure you love it too! The other day I caught an episode of Eat St; a show dedicated to fun and hip food trucks preparing out of this world food, like Mac Genie. A food truck serving up unique mac n’ cheese dishes that everyone swoons to during their lunch hour in Indianapolis! So being the nutritionista that I am, I had to find a way to healthify the mac n cheese! I’ve managed to healthify this dish before, serving it up with creamy butternut squash, recipe here. But this time, I wanted a quick version. A stove top version! So here it is, a cheesy gooey mac n’cheese that is quick to prepare and will have your whole family asking for seconds!

Nutritionista Rant – dairy is not a part of my daily ‘diet’ and it is truly a cheat for me. I must admit, I love cheese. I grew up eating cheese! But now, I have a hard time digesting it and so I eat it sparingly. When I do opt for cheese, I choose a top quality organic local cheese. I’m not a fan of vegan cheeses, as I’ve had some really bad reactions to most brands and I would much rather eat the real deal. I always take a digestive enzyme before eating cheese or ‘heavier’ meals to help breakdown carbs, fats and proteins and aid in digestion.

ImageMac n’ Cheese

Ingredients:

1 package (227g) gluten free macaroni from GoGo Quinoa, cooked al dente
1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk (organic soy, coconut or almond will work)
1 cup organic gruyere, shredded
1 cup organic cheddar, shredded
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp smoked hot paprika
sea salt and pepper

Breadcrumb Topping

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (or panko-not gluten free, or brown rice flakes pulsed in a food processor)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley
3 garlic cloves
sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Add all breadcrumb toppings into a food processor. Pulse until combined. Set aside.

Cook pasta al dente (semifirm), approximately 10-12 mins. While pasta is cooking, heat milk on a stove top pan on low heat. Add in thyme and bay leaf, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add in additional spices, half the cheese and stir frequently until cheese is almost completely melted. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Once pasta is cooked, drain, rinse under cold water and pour into a baking dish (I used an 8×8 brownie pan as I did not have a small enough baking pan. It worked great! I oiled it up with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking). Pour milk and cheese mixture over pasta. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and broil under low for approximately 5-6 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

And there you have it! A simple, tasty and quick mac n’ cheese that is great served along side a mixed green salad.

Happy Meatless Monday!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂 xoxo

 

 

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Dreamy Creamy Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese

Happy Monday everyone! I’m sure your all in the middle of holiday family fun and busy eating, cooking and eating and cooking! At least that’s the case for me! With lots of family events I’ve one busy bee! Amongst all the holiday chaos one delicious meal I whipped up this week was mac n’ cheese! It has a sophisticated twist with a creamy butternut squash puree, isn’t loaded with cream, is ‘mostly’ gluten free and it’s DELICIOUS!! Served with a delicious mixed green salad, this dish is a perfect meatless meal! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, then quartered and cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves
2 thyme sprigs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 pound small elbow macaroni or mini shells ( I used 2 boxes of gluten free GOGO Quinoa Macaroni)
3/4 cup grated Gruyere (feel free to add more cheese)

HERBED BREADCRUMB TOPPING:

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

To make the mac ‘n’ cheese:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large saucepan, add the butternut squash, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, milk, and stock. Cook until the butternut squash is fork-tender. Remove the sprigs of thyme.
Place the squash mixture in a food processor or blender and puree until velvety smooth.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in salted water until it is al dente (semifirm). Drain and rinse with cool water.
Spread out the macaroni in a lightly greased 13-inch x 9-inch pan. Pour the squash puree over the noodles.

 

To make the breadcrumbs and bake:
Combine all the ingredients for the herbed breadcrumb topping.

Cover the mac ‘n’ cheese with foil, place in the oven, and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and evenly spread the breadcrumb topping and Gruyere over the top. Transfer to the broiler and broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

From my Heart to Yours,
Merry Christmas!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest