Sweet Potato and Garlic Mac and Cheese

Tasty and nutritious twist on the classic mac 'n cheese!

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato, cubed (1 - 1  1/4 cups cubes)
1 head of garlic
olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper
2 cups almond milk
1  1/2 tbsps butter
2 tbsps flour
2 cups shredded strong cheese, like sharp cheddar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of hot pepper flakes
2 pinches smoked paprika
2 cups pasta (elbow or penne)
1 cup chopped kale or spinach

Start with a quick "roasted" garlic. Cut the top off the head of garlic. Drizzle olive oil on top, add salt and pepper. Pour 1 tbsp water into the microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on low 3 minutes. Check for softness and continue cooking on low 3 minutes at a time until tender. Set aside.

Cook the sweet potatoes...either boil 10-15 minutes or roast at 400 F tossed in oil for 20-25 minutes. Place the cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the potatoes along with 1/4 cup of the almond milk. Process together until smooth. Set aside.

Next make a white sauce...melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the remaining almond milk and cook 3 minutes.

Add the sweet potato mixture to the white sauce along with the nutmeg, salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes and smoked paprika. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Stir in the cheese and greens.

Keep the sauce simmering slowly while the pasta cooks.

Then drain the pasta and toss with the sauce to coat.
Add more almond milk if you want a thinner sauce.

Serves 4

Adapted from a recipe at: Runningtothekitchen.com