Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE IS HERE GUYS, and I cannot contain my excitement! And this isn’t just any mac and cheese recipe, it’s sweet potato mac and cheese. Yes, your favourite cosy pasta dish is being upgraded with a cheesy, creamy sweet potato sauce!
The best thing about this mac and cheese recipe? It’s made with good for you ingredients. I’m talking sweet potatoes, soy milk, and nutritional yeast. This might just be the healthiest mac and cheese ever! But trust me, you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s vegan 🙂
This dish is perfect to make for lunch, dinner, potlucks, or even as a thanksgiving side dish! We don’t celebrate thanksgiving here in the UK, but I sure am thankful for this macaroni cheese.
The secret to making vegan mac and cheese, without cheese!
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast with a cheesy, nutty flavour. It comes in the form of little flakes which add a delicious cheesy flavour to so many recipes!
You can find more recipes using nutritional yeast in my virtual pantry.
How to make sweet potato mac and cheese
First boil the sweet potatoes until soft (photo 1). Then blend with nutritional yeast, roasted garlic, plant-based milk, lemon juice and salt and pepper (photo 2).
Finally, heat up the sauce in a pan and stir into your boiled macaroni (photo 3).
Optional additional step: Transfer the vegan mac and cheese to an oven-proof dish, top with your favourite dairy-free cheese (I like VioLife), and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 °C/ 350 °F until golden and bubbling.
notes on this recipe
- Allow the cooked sweet potatoes to cool slightly before blending the sauce to avoid pressure build-up in your blender.
- Blend 1-2 jalapenos into the cheesy sauce for a spicy kick!
- To make mac and greens: A few minutes before the pasta is finished boiling, add broccoli florets and drain together with the pasta before mixing into the sauce. You can also add any other greens of your choosing.
If you like this sweet potato mac and cheese recipe, I just know you’ll love my creamy pesto pasta, masala grilled cheese and hidden vegetable pasta sauce recipes too. Let me know if you try them!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please leave a rating + review below and share your photos on Instagram tagging #shivanilovesfood!
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese (vegan!)
Ingredients
- 2 Sweet Potatoes Medium size, roughly 250 g total weight
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Sunflower Oil
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup/ 120 ml Soy Milk or dairy-free milk of choice – make sure it's unsweetened
- 1/4 cup/ 10 grams Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup/ 150 grams Macaroni Pasta
Instructions
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1 inch/ 2.5 cm cubes. Add to a medium-sized pan, cover with water and add 1/2 tsp salt. Boil oh high heat for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Alternatively, you can cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes in a bowl with a little water.
- Set aside the potatoes to cool slightly. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the garlic then saute in a small frying pan with 1/2 tsp sunflower oil until fragrant.
- OAdd the cooled sweet potatoes, sauteed garlic, soy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, black pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt to a blender. Begin by blending on low speed then gradually increase the speed to high, until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
- Meanwhile, boil the macaroni pasta in a large pot of salted water according to packet instructions. Drain the pasta and add back to the pot along with the blended sauce. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot and enjoy!
- Optional additional step: Transfer the vegan mac and cheese to an oven-proof dish, top with your favourite dairy-free cheese (I like violife here in the UK), and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 °C/ 350 °F until golden and bubbling.
Shivani’s Tips
- Variation: blend 1-2 jalapenos into the cheese sauce for a spicy kick!
- To make mac and greens: A few minutes before the pasta is finished boiling, add 1/2 head broccoli chopped into florets. You can also add any other greens of your choosing!
NUTRITION
Serving size: 1/3 of the recipe Calories: 566 kcal | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 620mg | Carbohydrates: 108.8g | Fiber: 11.6g | Sugar: 3.5g | Protein: 23g 
Did you make this recipe?
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