Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese

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This recipe is one of my favourites and I could eat it far more regularly than is probably wise. I once tried to find the history of macaroni cheese. I mostly failed but the journey was glorious. It’s much older than you think, is all I’ll say.

You can make this without the sweet potatoes and the bacon and even without the accompanying sriracha broccoli and it will still be very good. If you have the time however I’d recommend making it as it’s written. You’ll be pleased you did, I promise.

My favourite way to eat this is curled up on the sofa, dressed in pyjamas with your favourite film on the telly. It goes as well with a giant mug of tea as it does with a glass of wine, so go with whatever floats your boat.

Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese & Sriracha Broccoli
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Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese & Sriracha Broccoli

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

1

hour 
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • Macaroni Cheese Mixture

  • 250g dried macaroni

  • 3 tblsp soft butter

  • 30g flour

  • 350ml milk

  • 225ml double cream

  • 360g mature cheddar, grated

  • Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash Mixture

  • 1 medium butternut squash or 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and seeds removed and cut into 1 inch chunks

  • 2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each

  • Olive Oil, enough to coat the sweet potatoes and onions

  • Salt and pepper

  • Crumb

  • 100g breadcrumbs

  • 80g of cubed pancetta (optional)

  • 1 tblsp Olive oil

  • 1 tblsp soft butter (only if not using pancetta)

  • 5 sage leaves chopped finely

  • 1 handful walnuts, finely chopped or crushed finely in pestle & mortar

  • Sriracha Broccoli

  • 1 head of broccoli

  • 2 tblsp Sriracha

  • 1 tblsp thick sweet soy sauce

  • 2 tblsp olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic grated

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 220 degrees C
  • Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
  • Toss sweet potato or butternut squash chunks and red onion wedges with oil and salt and pepper
  • Bake mixture in oven for 45 minutes and remove from oven
  • Turn oven down to 190 degrees C
  • Macaroni Cheese
  • Cook macaroni according to packet directions until al dente
  • While macaroni is cooking mix together cream and milk
  • Melt butter in a small sauce pan over a low heat until melted then add flour
  • Stir gently for 3 minutes until flour is cooked out in the butter
  • Then add milk/cream mixture gradually, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens
  • Take off the heat and add 2/3 of the cheese mixture (240g)
  • When the cheese has melted in the sauce add the cooked macaroni
  • Put half of the mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish, sprinkle half the remaining cheese over it
  • Add the cooked sweet potato & onion mixture then the rest of the macaroni cheese mixture.
  • Crumb
  • If using pancetta, add to a small frying pan with olive oil and fry until the pancetta is crisp and the fat is melted
  • If not using pancetta, add oil and butter to the frying pan and heat until the butter is foaming
  • Add breadcrumbs to the pan and fry until just crisp and golden coloured.
  • Stir in sage leaves and breadcrumbs and then remove from heat.
  • Finish Dish
  • Cover macaroni cheese mixture with crumb mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
  • Bake in 190 degree C oven for 25 – 30 minutes
  • Sriracha Broccoli
  • Cut broccoli into florets
  • Crush garlic and mix with all the remaining ingredients and then use to coat broccoli
  • Bake in 190 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until broccoli is tender