Vegan Sweet Potato Mac N’ Cheese
This vegan sweet potato mac n’ cheese is made with roasted sweet potatoes, garlic and nutritional yeast for a nutty, savory taste that is packed with nutrients.
The weather is finally starting to cool down here in LA and it has me craving comfort food.
Kraft mac n’ cheese was a mainstay in my house growing up, although my mom did try to make the meal a little more nutritious by force-feeding offering us broccoli on the side :) As a predominantly plant-based adult, I can now appreciate her attempt at incorporating veg into this otherwise nutrient-poor meal, but at the time I scoffed at anything green near my cheese.
Funny, now broccoli is my favorite veggie.
While my taste buds have adapted to love this bitter vegetable, they have not outgrown a love of cheesy pasta. So when a craving struck for some creamy mac, I decided to take a cue from my mother and adapt this meal to suit my grown-up needs.
This vegan mac n’ cheese is made with roasted sweet potatoes, garlic, and nutritional yeast, lending nutty, savory flavor and a plethora of nutrients. Sweet potatoes provide a hearty dose of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant for eye health and immune function, while the fortified nutritional yeast adds plant-based protein, iron, and B vitamins.
I served this luscious sauce over a green lentil pasta in order to ensure there was enough protein to call it a meal, and added steamed broccoli at the end as a nod to Mom — you can certainly leave it out if you prefer a less veg-heavy dish.
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 2 cups), chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces of pasta, cooked
- 2 cups broccoli, cooked (optional)
- Toss sweet potato and garlic with olive oil and roast at 400 F for 25 minutes.
- Combine sweet potato, garlic, milk, yeast, and salt in a high-powered blender.
- Combine sauce with pasta over medium heat.
- Stir in broccoli (optional).
- Serve immediately.
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Weigh in: What was your favorite comfort food meal growing up? Will you try this vegan sweet potato mac n’ cheese?
Michelle says:
Looks yummy! Did you use full fat (ie canned) coconut milk? Looking forward to trying this!
Julie says:
Wondering the same!