Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato
3 C whole wheat pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 C milk
3/4 C mozzarella cheese
3/4 C asiago cheese
1/2 C parmesan cheese
2 handfuls tatsoi (spinach, kale, etc)
Method: Peel and cube sweet potato. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add sweet potato, and cook until tender, 8-12 minutes. Drain, retaining cooking water, and cool slightly. Place cooked sweet potato in a food processor with 1/4 C milk. Pulse until smooth and set aside.
Bring cooking water back to a boil and cook pasta 5-6 minutes. Pasta should be al dente. Drain and set aside.
Mix together cheese and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a sauce pan, melt butter and add garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Whisk in flour and let cook for another 1-2 minutes to cook out flour taste. Whisk in 1-1/4 C of milk and cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in sweet potato puree and continue to cook until hot. Remove from heat and add 1-1/2 C of cheese mixture.
In a large casserole dish, add pasta, tatsoi (or other mild greens), and cheese sauce. Toss until tatsoi is slightly wilted and cheese is mixed in. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 25-35 minutes. The cheese on top should be browned.
