Give Homemade Mac And Cheese A Hidden Veggie Upgrade With One Cheap Addition

Sometimes you get a craving that nothing other than true comfort food is going to satisfy. A creamy, carb-filled dish of homemade mac and cheese can tick all the boxes in terms of indulgence — just not all of the nutritional ones, unfortunately. You can always add chopped vegetables, but it does change the vibe of the dish somewhat. For the best of both worlds, a better (and budget-friendly) option is to add mashed sweet potato into the sauce. 

When cooked and well blended, you'll have the same creamy mouthfeel and nearly identical appearance as a classic mac and cheese recipe, but with added flavor and a few extra health benefits. Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C and manganese, and just a half-cup serving of cooked sweet potato will provide you with your daily requirement of vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are even a helpful addition to any meal if you want to improve gut health, acting as both a good source of antioxidants and providing soluble and insoluble fiber, which is going to help to keep you full for longer. 

When it comes to choosing the best sweet potatoes to add to your dish, there is a slight nutritional difference between colors, but only regarding the type and amount of antioxidants. Whether you opt for orange, white, or even purple, you'll be supporting your gut and brain health, as well as your immune system.

There are a couple of different ways to add this vegetable boost to your mac and cheese, depending on the time you want to spend prepping and your nutritional goals. The most straightforward method is to simply blend cooked sweet potato into the cheese sauce. This is ideal if you have a tried-and-tested mac and cheese recipe and don't want to put too much extra thought into your dinner. 

To prepare the sweet potatoes, you can choose any cooking method that suits you, as long as they get nice and soft. Roasting sweet potatoes will concentrate the flavor and add richness to the sauce, but boiling sweet potatoes is shown to preserve more of the antioxidants and makes them easier to digest.

Alternatively, you can use sweet potatoes as the base of your mac and cheese sauce. This is the best option if you want a bigger veggie boost, or if you hate making a roux. For this method, it's as simple as adding the cooked sweet potato to a blender along with stock, milk or cream, and your favorite seasonings. Add this velvety and vegetable-forward sauce directly to the cooked pasta along with plenty of grated cheese and baked until thick and bubbling.