When it comes to holiday meals, for me it’s all about the sides. And this sweet potato mac & cheese happens to be one of my favorite dishes to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s a hearty baked mac & cheese with a seasonal twist. Baked sweet potato adds a cozy, sweet, caramely, nutty flavor as well as richness to the sauce. Thyme, rosemary, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper bring forward the savory profile. Smoked and nutty aged cheeses add complexity and richness. And crispy candied bacon is the ultimate topper for a sweet and salty indulgence.
This sweet potato mac & cheese is super simple to bring together and can be prepped in advance, making it perfect for big meals or busy nights. Just throw it in the oven for 30 minutes and it’s ready to serve.
The basic steps:
- Bake a whole sweet potato until completely cooked through. You want it to be completely softened to blend into a smooth sauce and saturated with sweet juices.
- Roast the garlic: Place a few whole peeled garlic cloves inside a small pouch of foil; drizzle with olive oil; seal the foil around the garlic cloves; and bake the pouch of garlic alongside the sweet potato about 25 minutes at 400ºF, or until aromatic and mashable.
- Boil the pasta in very salty water until al dente, and save the starchy cooking liquid. I like to use a short, hearty pasta that stands up well to baking and has lots of ridges and cavities to lock in a thick sauce. Pictured is bronze-cut mezzi rigatoni (a short version of rigatoni; bronze-cut pasta has a rougher, more porous texture for maximum sauce absorption).
- Make the sauce: Heat butter in a saucepan. Stir in mashed roasted garlic, a splash of reserved pasta water, then milk and half & half thickened with cornstarch. Simmer and stir until thickened, then mix in cooked sweet potato. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Stir in a medley of freshly shredded cheeses such as smoked gouda, gruyere, and aged white cheddar. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach a thick yet smooth, saucy consistency. Fold in pasta.
- Make the candied bacon: Rub thick-cut pork or turkey bacon with brown sugar and black pepper. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake at 375º about 25 minutes, or until cooked through and crisp. Remove and cool before tearing into pieces.
- If you want to make this vegetarian but also have a crispy element, feel free to sub toasted buttered breadcrumbs in place of the bacon.
- Assemble the pasta in a baking dish, top with extra cheese and candied bacon. At this point you can cover it and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered, until all the cheese is melty, sauce is bubbly, and bacon is crispy.
Baked Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese
Hearty al dente pasta smothered in a thick & creamy sweet potato sauce with roasted garlic, herbs, rich smoked gouda, gruyere, and aged white cheddar. Topped with candied bacon and baked until irresistibly crisp and melty. Perfect for a mouthwatering holiday side dish or cozy winter dinner.
Makes 4 meal-sized portions or 8 side portions.
Notes
*I recommend a thicker pasta variety such as mezze penne, mezzi rigatoni, pipette, conchiglie, or “shellbows”/lumache. Opt for bronze-cut varieties for a rougher surface for maximum sauce absorption.
**To make a vegetarian version, omit the candied bacon and replace with toasted breadcrumbs. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet and stir in about 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Toast until light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When ready to bake, top with toasted breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 8 oz uncooked short dry pasta*
- salt for pasta water
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3-4 whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup half & half
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Several sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary
- Approximately 1.3 oz each smoked gouda, gruyere, and aged white cheddar, freshly shredded (~4 oz total for the sauce)
- 1 oz extra shredded cheeses for topping
- 3-4 slices thick-cut pork or turkey bacon**
- 1.5-2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Poke the sweet potato with a fork a few times and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake about 60-75 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and starts to pull away from the skin.
- Roast the garlic while the sweet potato is baking. Place 3-4 peeled whole garlic cloves inside a small pouch of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, then seal the foil around the garlic cloves. Place the pouch of garlic on the baking sheet with the sweet potato and remove after about 25 minutes, or until tender enough to easily mash with a fork.
- When the sweet potato is done, remove from the oven and set aside. When cool enough to handle, slice through the skin lengthwise, pull back the skin, and scoop the flesh out into a container. Include extra juices at the bottom. Set aside to use in the sauce.
- Make the candied bacon: Lower oven temperature to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lay bacon out flat on the wire rack (perpendicular to the grates on the wire rack) without overlapping. Rub each slice with with brown sugar and black pepper. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked through and brown sugar is melted. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool on the rack for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a sheet of parchment to finish cooling completely.
- Add water and a generous amount of salt to a medium saucepan (about 1/2 Tbsp sea salt in 8 cups water). Bring to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente. The pasta should be cooked through but still very chewy; cooking times will vary.
- When done, pour pasta water out into a heat-safe measuring cup or container and reserve for the sauce. Drain the pasta. In a large measuring cup, whisk together milk, half & half, and cornstarch until completely incorporated and no lumps remain.
- Place the empty saucepan back on the stove over medium-low heat. Add butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Mash the roasted garlic with the back of a fork, then add to the butter. Add a splash of pasta water to deglaze the pan.
- Slowly pour in milk/half & half/cornstarch mixture while stirring continuously. Increase heat to medium and bring to a light simmer, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken. Mix in cooked sweet potato until evenly incorporated. Season with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, ground black pepper, chopped fresh rosemary, and torn fresh thyme leaves, to taste.
- Fold in shredded cheeses until evenly incorporated. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach a thick yet smooth, saucy, consistency. Remove from heat. Fold in cooked pasta until evenly coated in sauce.
- Transfer pasta to a deep baking dish (about 9” square or 2 quart). Top with extra shredded cheese and candied bacon torn into small pieces.
- Increase oven to 400ºF. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly, cheese is melted, and bacon is crispy. Serve hot.
