Sweet Potato Chili Mac & Cheese

It's sweet potatoes. It's chipotle chilies. It's mac & cheese. It's a spiced-up veggie-fied version of the classic. Today I bring you Sweet Potato Chili Mac & Cheese.

Doesn't that look aaaahh-mazing? It was. Bonus points for the extra veggies. We are coming up on swimsuit season after all. Wouldn't want to shouldn't be downing too much cheese...(NOTE: T & I may have enjoyed CHEESY pizza twice in the last 4 days...ooops...If you don't tell, I won't.) Back to the recipe. The creamy texture of sweet potatoes mixed with the smoky spiciness of the chipotles and the crunch of the browned sausage topped with crispy green onions makes this dish quite delicious.

Step One: Gather the ingredients. If you can't find, or don't like the flavor of Mexican chorizo, just substitute any hot sausage.

Step Two: Pierce and bake the sweet potatoes in a oven preheated to 425 degrees for 1 hour. Allow to cool, then peel and mash in a large bowl before adding milk, chipotle chilies, salt and pepper.

Step Three: Cook and drain your pasta of choice, then combine with sweet potato mixture and cheese. Mix well. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet and brown the sausage.

Step Four: Preheat the broiler. After browning the sausage, remove to a plate and wipe the skillet of excess oil. Transfer the sweet potato mix to the skillet and top with sausage. Place in the oven under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and become crispy. All that's left now is to enjoy every last bite!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

SWEET POTATO CHILI MAC & CHEESE | Yield: 6 servings | Total Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 C skim milk
3 Tbsp chopped chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce + 1 Tbsp sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 C packed)
8 oz whole-wheat macaroni or penne pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz Mexican chorizo, casings removed*
1/4 C chopped green onions
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

*NOTE: If you can't find chorizo, use a hot Italian sausage for a similar taste.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork or knife, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for one hour. Cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, chipotle chilis, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Add pasta to sweet potato mixture and set aside.

Preheat oven to broil.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo, or hot sausage, cooking 4 minutes, or until browned. Stir to crumble. Remove cooked sausage to a small bowl and wipe pan of excess oil. Add sweet potato mixture into pan, sprinkle with chorizo, and broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Sprinkle with onions and cilantro to serve.

Do you have any favorite variations on the classic mac & cheese?