Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

The combination of chili sweet potatoes and homemade mac and cheese makes this sweet potato mac and cheese a stand out dinner. It’s a unique, vegetarian comfort food recipe that combines cheesy, spicy, and sweet all in one delicious meal.

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Who would have thought that spicy sweet potatoes could taste so good on top of mac and cheese? This recipe takes your favorite childhood comfort food and adds some grown-up flair to it. When you make homemade mac and cheese, it is super-cheesy, extra rich, and filled with the boldest combination of flavors. 

This simple vegetarian recipe tastes very much like chili mac and cheese. The sweet potatoes are a must! They add both sweet and spicy notes while giving the dish more texture at the same time. 

Prepare a vegetarian feast. Serve this mac cheese along with some sweet potato tacos, baked mac and cheese cups, or a hot bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. 

Why This Recipe Works

Sharp cheddar cheese in a homemade roux of milk and flour – you can’t get better than this! This recipe has all of the classic flavors of creamy macaroni and cheese with a fun, delicious twist.

If you want a dinner idea that your kids will love, this is it! This is a family and kid-friendly way to encourage your family to eat more vegetables. Plus, it is easy enough to make on busy weeknights.

Sweet potato mac and cheese is an effortless vegetarian meal that is packed with protein, and nutrients, and will definitely fill you up. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Ingredients 

Spiced Sweet Potatoes 

• Sweet Potatoes: I used 2 large sweet potatoes and cut them up into 1/2-inch cubes. This made about 4 cups of sweet potato cubes.  
• Olive Oil: Avocado oil will also work great. 
• Salt and Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Smoked Paprika: optional, but will gives the finished dish a smokier flavor.

Mac and Cheese

• Elbow Pasta: For classic mac and cheese, use elbow pasta. If you are adventurous, use shells or rotini. 
• Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control how salty it is. 
• Flour: Either all-purpose flour or your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour will work. 
• Milk: Whole milk or unsweetened, plain almond milk will work.
• Salt and Pepper
• Mustard Powder: A bit of mustard powder enhances the cheesy flavors in this recipe. 
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: You can use your favorite type of cheese. Go spicy and use jalapeño jack cheese from the deli, if you’d like!

The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.

Prep!

Dice the sweet potato into about 1/2-inch cubes and shred the cheese.

Chef’s Tip: it is recommended to shred the cheese from a block. Bags of pre-shredded cheese contains added starches that can make your cheese sauce grainy.

Preheat your oven to 425°F and set a medium pot of 8 quarts of water over high heat to boil.

Create!

Add the sweet potatoes to a medium bowl and toss with the olive oil.

Spread the sweet potatoes out onto a baking sheet. 

Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle on the chili powder and smoked paprika.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway, or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, add the pasta to the boiling and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 6-7 minutes. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, begin preparing the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Gradually whisk in the flour until everything is nice and smooth.

Slowly add the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking frequently. Add the salt, pepper, and mustard powder. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is thick enough that you can draw a line through it with a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cheese until fully melted and smooth.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. This is a good time to taste test your mac and cheese and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Present!

Top the mac and cheese with the chili roasted sweet potatoes and serve.

Tips and Techniques

• For the best results, shred the cheese from a block. Do not use bagged shredded cheese as it contains starches which may ruin your cheese sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3 days for best results.

FAQ’s

Can You Freeze Mac and Cheese?

You can absolutely freeze the two components of this dish, but it is recommended to do so separately.

You can freeze the sweet potatoes by letting them cool, then adding them to a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. To reheat, add the potatoes to a baking sheet and cook at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

The mac and cheese portion of this recipe can be frozen as well. Again, let it fully cool, then freeze in a tightly-covered casserole dish. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 45-60 minutes. The texture of the mac and cheese may change some when reheated, but the flavor will be the same.

For best quality and flavor, use within 2 months of freezing.

Do Sweet Potatoes Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking? 

No,  you don’t have to do anything special to the sweet potatoes before you cook them. You might want to rinse them off first, but just chop them up and follow the recipe. 

How Do You Store The Leftovers? 

I would place the mac and cheese and sweet potatoes together in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. Store it for no more than three days. After three days, the texture will begin to change. Reheat the leftovers in a skillet to crisp it back up or in the microwave.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

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This recipe was originally published on October 10, 2018. It was updated with new images, an improved recipe with step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques and FAQ’s in August 2022.