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Jan 14, 2019

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese with a tasty and crispy fried onion and sage topping. 


Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese with fried onion and sage topping

I fell completely in love with this spiralized sweet potato macaroni and cheese.

Adding sweet potatoes to this macaroni and cheese adds a nutritious twist to the dish. Plus, I got to use my new KitchenAid Spiralizer attachment! (affiliate link). It made fast work of the sweet potatoes.

I resisted getting a spiralizer for a long time, but I kept seeing recipes that I wanted to try. I decided to go for the KitchenAid attachment because it can easily handle firm vegetables like these sweet potatoes. I tried manual spiralizers, and, while they were great with softer veggies like zucchini, they were a challenge with firm veggies like potatoes and carrots.

Of course you can make this recipe without a spiralizer. Just julienne the sweet potatoes and add them to the macaroni and cheese. While the dish won't be as cute, it will be just as delicious.

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese with fried onion topping


My favorite kind of macaroni and cheese is baked. I'm not a big fan of stove top mac and cheese. I know, I know.... yes, stove top mac and cheese super creamy. I just go crazy for baked gooey cheesiness with a crusty, crunchy top.

I topped this macaroni and cheese with store bought French fried onions (my favorite brand is Fresh Gourmet), which I pulsed in the food processor with some fresh sage. The aroma when this mac and cheese was baking was out of this world.

I baked this spiralized sweet potato macaroni and cheese in individual cast iron cocottes. The green ones hold one cup, and the red ones hold two cups. A large baking dish would also work great here. I just like the cocottes because they are so cute!

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese with onion topping

Are you a big fan of macaroni and cheese? Me too! I just did an inventory, and I have five more mac and cheese recipes, all delicious!
Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese #macaroniandcheese #sweetpotato #macandcheese

This month, the Baking Bloggers, hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, are baking with pasta! Check out all of the amazing sounding recipes: 

macaroni, cheese, spiralizer, sweet potatoes
Pasta
American
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese in cocottes

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese

ingredients


  • 1 pound dried macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and spiralized
  • 1 cup packaged crispy fried onions, pulsed in a food processor (or dried breadcrumbs) 
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

instructions


  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta in salted water in a large pot according to package directions to almost al dente (about a minute short of al dente). Drain the pasta and toss it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 
  2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about five minutes. Add the flour and cook for one minute more, stirring. Add the milk, cream, and nutmeg. Add about a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of pepper, and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, for five minutes. 
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses until they melt. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sweet potatoes. 
  4. Distribute the mixture among 6 to 8 cocottes, ramekins, or fill a large baking dish. 
  5. Mix the dried onions, sage and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, and sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. 
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and crispy. Let stand for five minutes before serving. 
Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe was adapted from Williams Sonoma

P.S. Here's a peek at the sweet potato coming out of the spiralizer. So fun, right? Check out my Facebook page for a video of the KitchenAid at work. 

Spiralized sweet potatoes

Would you like to comment?

  1. Oh, I love your addition of sweet potato!

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  2. Love that color! Looks like I need to finally pull out my spiralizer!

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    Replies
    1. Don't you love it when a recipe comes along to justify a purchase? =)

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  3. I don't have the attachment, but I adore my spiralizer, which I use often - so much fun!

    you little Staub pots are so beautiful....

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  4. OMG! Spiraled sweet potato looks so gorgeous.

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  5. Wow never thought of sweet potatoes and pasta. Looks so so yum. I recently got a hand spiralizer and was thinking the same will it work for sweet potatoes. Thanks for sharing the feedback.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure your spiralizer will work just fine. I just love the fact that I can push a button and it happens!

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  6. If there’s sweet potato, I don’t even need the pasta! I need to make this soon.

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  7. I love this idea!I have been in the rut of using the spiralizer tomake veggie spaghetti almost exclusively, and need to get creative like this!

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    Replies
    1. It was such a fun way to use it instead of just zoodles.

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  8. And yet another toy to be put on the wish list. Sigh. I wonder if there is a page somewhere on how to 'pimp' up Kitchenaids? There are so many fun attachments for it. I have a hand spiralizer but as you say, it's good for soft stuff, but not sweet potatoes. Thanks so much for linking up to First Monday Favorites.

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    Replies
    1. The other thing about the hand crank one is that is made for righties and I'm a leftie!

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  9. What a great idea to add the spiralized sweet potatoes to mac and cheese! I love sweet potatoes and the flavors go so well with a hearty, cheesy pasta dish. Thanks for sharing on the Celebrate 365 Blog Party!

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  10. You add uncooked sweet potatoes to the dish. Do the sweet potatoes cook enough in the 35 minutes in the oven?

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