Healthy Mac and Cheese (with Sneaky Sweet Potato)
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Finally! A healthy mac and cheese recipe that your whole family will love. From sneaky sweet potato to less fat and more fiber, this more nutritious baked pasta is STILL creamy and comforting. Easy to make gluten-free and freezing instructions included!
About the Recipe
I’m not sure Mac and Cheese can ever be categorized as “healthy.” But, since my kids love it so much, I’ve attempted several better versions than Kraft or the super decadent homemade version that is, including this Stovetop Mac and Cheese and this 6-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.
I’ve made and tweaked this recipe many times over the years, and my family (picky eaters included) give it two thumbs up. Of course, I like it because it’s yet another way to get vegetables into kid favorite foods.
Since our specialty at Thriving Home is easy, healthy freezer meals, I included instructions for freezing mac and cheese, too.
What Makes This Mac and Cheese Healthy?
I’m not claiming this baked pasta is the healthiest recipe out there, but it’s my attempt at a more nutritious, less calorie-laden version that’s STILL yummy. Here are some good-for-you perks of this mac and cheese:
- Whole wheat pasta (instead of white pasta)- More fiber and nutrients. No one will ever know the difference!
- Easy to make gluten-free – If you’re trying to avoid gluten or want extra protein, use a protein-rich, gluten-free pasta like Banza chickpea pasta instead.
- Less fat – I used pasta water (a natural thickener), 2% milk, and a little Greek yogurt to replace some of the usual fat (butter and heavy whipping cream). The cheese sauce still turns out rich-tasting.
- Sweet potato – This is a wonderful superfood veggie to add in for nutrition. It’s virtually tasteless and lends an orange-yellow hue that kids like.
- Whole wheat breadcrumbs (instead of white bread) – Top with whole grain breadcrumbs for even more fiber and added crunch.
Ingredients Needed
So, here’s what you’ll need on hand…
- Whole wheat elbow pasta – Sub: gluten-free pasta like Banza’s rotini pasta.
- Sweet potatoes – Microwaved or baked until soft.
- Milk
- Plain full-fat Greek yogurt (sub: full-fat sour cream)
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Here’s how to shred your own cheese for better melting action.
- Whole wheat bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs
Have a Picky Eater in Your Family?
Many parents have been in your shoes, including me! For years, my younger kids would turn up their noses at vegetables and fruits.
While I kept offering a wide variety of healthy foods to them (kids often need to try something an average of 10x before they will like it), I also wanted to make sure they were getting the nutrition their growing bodies needed.
That’s why I came up with this ultimate list of ways to sneak fruits and veggies into kid favorites! You can even prep ahead and freeze many of these.
Be sure to Pin or save this resource to use again and again!
How to Make This Healthy Mac and Cheese Recipe
Prep Oven & Dish
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray (or two 8×8 dishes and freeze one for later).
Boil Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but still a bit firm. Remove 3/4 cup of pasta water and set aside. (Don’t forget this step!) Drain pasta in strainer/colander and set aside. Toss with a little oil to keep from sticking.
Make Cheese Sauce
Meanwhile, place the sweet potato flesh (orange part), milk, pasta water, yogurt, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth (this hides the vegs from keen eyes!). Note: If you don’t have a blender, use a fork to really mash the sweet potato and then whisk together all the wet ingredients.
Then pour the milk mixture into the same pot you cooked the pasta in. Stir frequently over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture is hot and nearly simmering. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the cheese a little bit at a time. Stir until melted and smooth.
Combine Pasta and Sauce
Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish(es).
Prep Bread Crumb Topping
Stir together the bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Bake
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the top, is lightly browned, bubbly on the edges, and hot in the middle. You can always turn on the broiler at the end if it’s not browned enough on top, but watch closely!!
What to Serve With This Recipe
Here are some healthy dishes I love to serve with this healthier mac and cheese…
Can You Freeze Mac and Cheese?
As freezer meal experts and cookbook authors, this is a question we’ve heard over the years. Freezing mac and cheese is possible, but we recommend doing it like this so it turns out tasting like a fresh meal:
- Put the casserole together and then freeze before baking it.
- Tightly wrap with a few layers of plastic wrap or foil and press out as much air as possible. (Air is the enemy of good freezer meals!)
- Freeze in the back of the freezer, so it will stay consistently frozen.
- When ready to bake, the best way to thaw is for about 24 hours in the refrigerator. Once it’s fully thawed, bake according to directions.
Learn about many more foods you can freeze and the best method for doing that.
Recipe FAQs
The traditional cheese (I’m talking about real cheese, not Velveeta) for mac and cheese is cheddar. However, feel free to try other shredded cheeses that melt easily, such as Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, and Gruyere cheese (so decadent!).
This mac n cheese is best eaten fresh, but leftovers aren’t too bad! Just store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Warm in the microwave. Add a splash of milk if it gets dry when rewarming.
I’ve tried freezing this in small batches for lunches. While it technically works, the pasta is noticeably more mushy. To warm, thaw completely in the refrigerator first and then warm it up.
More Recipes with Sneaky Veggies
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Healthy Mac and Cheese (with Sneaky Sweet Potato)
A healthier mac & cheese recipe with hidden sweet potato that your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound (16 oz.) whole wheat elbow pasta (sub: gluten-free pasta, like Banza brand)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, microwaved or baked until soft (about 1 1/2 cups) – SEE COOKING NOTES
- 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
- 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (the full-fat version tastes best, but non-fat will work; sub: sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: good pinch of cayenne pepper or dash of hot sauce
- 3 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese (shred your own cheese to avoid additives)
- 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (or make homemade bread crumbs)
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil, plus more for the pasta
- Optional: 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray (or two 8×8 dishes and freeze one for later).
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but still a bit firm. Remove 3/4 cup of pasta water and set aside. (Don’t forget this step!) Drain pasta in strainer/colander and set aside. Toss with a little oil to keep from sticking.
- Meanwhile, place the sweet potato flesh (orange part), milk, pasta water, yogurt, salt and pepper (and optional cayenne or hot sauce for a little heat) into a blender. Blend until smooth (this hides the veggies from keen eyes and helps thicken the sauce).
- Then pour the milk mixture into the same pot you cooked the pasta in. Stir frequently over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture is hot and nearly simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese a little bit at a time (use a figure 8 stir pattern to prevent clumping). Stir until melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish(es).
- Combine bread crumbs, oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned, bubbly on edges, and hot in the middle. (This may take more like 20-25 minutes, if baking a half portion.)
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-6 (no need to preheat the oven). Do not bake the casserole. Tightly wrap the dish(es) in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil and press out any excess air. Label and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or use the defrost setting on the microwave. Bake as directed.
Notes/Tips
Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free pasta. I like Banza brand. Omit the breadcrumbs or use a gluten-free bread crumbs.
How to Cook Sweet Potato for This Recipe: Using a small, sharp knife poke a few holes in the potato on each side. Then, cook using one of the following methods and let cool for 5-10 minutes before peeling:
- Microwave for 2 minutes on high. Flip over. Microwave another 2 minutes. Flip over again and microwave in 1-minute increments until a knife is inserted easily into the middle.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sweet potato on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, flip over and bake another 30 minutes. Sweet potatoes are done when until a knife is inserted easily into the middle and skin feels crisp.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Our kids (ages 4, 6, and 8) loved it and I loved that it not only had sweet potato in it but that it was so easy to make! No flour, no making a rue with cream etc. This is the first homemade Mac n cheese our kids have enjoyed (they normally prefer Annie’s boxed macaroni and cheese)
Nice! I made this for years when my kids were little to sneak in more veggies. I’m glad your family liked it.
Can I put this in slow cooker for a pot luck instead of oven?
I haven’t tested it in in the slow cooker, so I’m not sure. It wouldn’t give it that crusty top like the oven would.
Hi! How long can we freeze mac n cheese?
I usually find if I wrap/store the meal properly (avoid as much air exposure as possible and keep it frozen solid), it will do fine for 3 months or so.
What brand of cheese do you use? I’m hesitant that the Kraft or off-brand shredded cheese wouldn’t melt properly?! Thanks!
I don’t have a problem with the off-brand shredded cheese in this recipe at all, but shredding your own cheese from a block is usually easier to melt if you’re concerned. Here is the quick way Polly does that: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/2015/02/why-shred-your-own-cheese/
Do you have the nutritional information ie: calories, fat etc?
I’m sorry, we don’t. This site allows you to plug in the ingredients and get that information for free: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator. Hope that helps!
Could I sub sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt?
Yes, for sure you could sub sour cream in.
Hi – I am new to freezer cooking and just have one question – when freezing – you say to tightly wrap it. Do you freeze it then pull it out, wrap it tight with like a plastic wrap and put it back in the freezer? Or do you just wrap it up tight, they way it will stay, before the freezing process?
Hi Morgan! I just wrap up the meal tightly and then stick it in the freezer until I’m ready to thaw it. Does that answer your question? Glad you made it to our site. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Looks great, would the cooking time change if I put it in two 8×8 pans?
Nope, I think it would pretty much be the same.
Just made this for my daughter and her husband who are expecting a baby in 2.5 weeks. I been stocking the freezer for them with ready made meals. Looks delicious!
Great! Hope everyone likes it.
My boyfriend allergic to gluten. Would this recipe work with gluten free penne noodles? I can’t seem to find and elbow noodles. I am also wondering if I can add hamburger or ground turkey?
Sorry, Tara, I don’t have a lot of experience with GF noodles. My guess is that they would be fine, though. And penne sounds yummy! I’m sure the added meat would be good too, if you season it up and brown it before you put it in. Good idea for the men in our lives. 🙂
Do you think I can use plain Greek yogurt? That is all we ever have. Thanks! Sounds delicious
Absolutely! I sub plain Greek yogurt in this recipe and others all the time. Thanks for the suggestion for others!
When you freeze this, do you thaw and bake, or bake from frozen for a longer period of time?
You can do either. If you bake from frozen, you will need to cover with foil for the first portion and then give it about 20 minutes at the end to brown on top. It may take up 45-60 minutes if frozen.
Making this tonight. Calls for 2 small sweet potatoes. Instruction says to add sweet potatoe flesh?? Do you also include the meat of the sweet potatoe?
Gosh, so sorry for the confusion. Flesh is the meat or the orange part. Do not add the skin, if that’s what you were thinking. Yuck. 🙂 I will update the recipe to be more clear. Thanks for reading!
Just made this tonight and tasted great! I even got approval from my picky boyfriend. For some reason though the breadcrumbs don’t taste all that great. I’m not sure if I didn’t mix correctly or I don’t have what the recipe actually calls for. Would it be possible to just make up to the sauce, mix it in, and serve? Or does baking let the sauce cook in better?
Hi Kayla,
Thanks for the feedback. I haven’t made this recipe for a while, so I need to go back and test it again. But, my gut shot is that you could certainly serve it hot off the stove and skip the breadcrumbs and baking step. My new favorite is the 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese. You might give that one a go…it’s easier and also healthier than regular ole mac. https://thrivinghomeblog.com/2013/11/5-ingredient-mac-cheese-recipe/
To freeze this, do I simply freeze it without the breadcrumbs before baking it?
Great question. I freeze them with the breadcrumbs on top, but if you’re worried about them getting soggy you could wait on the breadcrumbs.