Sweet Potato Bacon Mac and Cheese will soon become your new family favorite! Sweet potatoes are the basis for this creamy sauce that’s packed full of the most delicious sharp cheddar cheese.
This post is sponsored by Cache Valley Creamery. All opinions expressed are my own.
Looking to switch up your mac and cheese routine? This is the recipe for you! People will never guess there are sweet potatoes in this twist on macaroni and cheese. The sweet potatoes end up just adding extra flavor and creaminess to the sauce with all the benefits of sneaking in some nutrition. That’s always going to be a winner. This dish is perfect for fall entertaining and can really wow people for the holidays in particular.
Make sure you don’t skip the hot sauce in this recipe. Hot sauce brings out amazing flavor when added to macaroni and cheese. It won’t be spicy. I promise! If you are worried about it being spicy, skip the cayenne pepper, but definitely don’t skip the hot sauce! It’s an old trick and it takes macaroni and cheese from ordinary to extraordinary.
Sweet Potato Bacon Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato & Bacon Mac and Cheese
- 2 tablespoons Cache Valley salted butter
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups Cache Valley sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper hot sauce
- 1 lb elbow noodles
- 6 slices thick cut bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the red onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the milk and sweet potato and bring to a boil, stirring frequently as to not scald the milk. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are cooked through and soft, about 15 minutes (actual time will depend on how big your sweet potato cubes are. The smaller the better).
- Meanwhile, cook your elbow noodles according to package directions.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, pour the saucepan contents into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cayenne, paprika, salt, cheddar cheese, and hot sauce. It should still be hot enough to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, blend it up again to bring back some of the creaminess.
- Add the cooked elbow noodles into the sauce and stir to combine. Garnish with bacon and green onion.