Roasted Sweet Potato-Bacon Mac and Cheese

The key to silky-smooth cheese sauce? Buy the cheese in blocks and shred it yourself. During our testing, we found bagged, preshredded cheese doesn't melt as smoothly because of starches that are added to prevent the cheese from sticking together.

plate with Roasted Sweet Potato-Bacon Mac and Cheese on gray placemat
Photo: Carson Downing
Prep Time:
30 mins
Roast Time:
30 mins
Bake Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 25 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
8 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 8 ounce dried cavatappi, large macaroni, or medium shell pasta

  • 3 tablespoon butter

  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 2 ½ cup whole milk

  • 2 cup shredded Gouda cheese (8 oz.)

  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz.)

  • 4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 15x10-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the first four ingredients (through garlic powder). Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Spread onto prepared baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

  2. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-to 3-qt. baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the warm pot.

  3. Meanwhile, in a 3-qt. saucepan melt the 3 Tbsp. butter over medium. Stir in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Add the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add the Gouda, cheddar, and Jack cheeses, whisking until cheeses melt and sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cheese sauce, the roasted sweet potatoes, and the bacon to the cooked pasta. Stir gently to combine. Transfer to prepared dish.

  4. Sprinkle Parmesan over pasta mixture in dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with additional crumbled crisp-cooked bacon.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

701 Calories
40g Fat
52g Carbs
32g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 701
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 40g 51%
Saturated Fat 22g 110%
Cholesterol 115mg 38%
Sodium 979mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 1.6mg 8%
Calcium 746mg 57%
Iron 2.3mg 13%
Potassium 568mg 12%
Fatty acids, total trans 1g
Folate, total 126.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 1.5mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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