If you need a fast, one-pot dinner that checks all the boxes – easy, flavorful, comforting, and veggie-packed – then this Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese is it. Ready in less than 20 minutes and loved by the entire family, it’s the kind of weeknight win you’ll come back to again and again.

Fun colored kids plates and bowls full of shell pasta made into sweet potato macaroni and cheese with peas.

Stephanie

5 stars (9 ratings)
“This recipe was a hit! So easy and delicious… Took about 15 minutes from start to finish to get this on the table for my 14 month old. ” –
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If there’s one thing my kids can always agree on, it’s mac and cheese. And honestly? I get it. It’s delicious, and I have zero mom-guilt admitting that.

While we definitely reach for the boxed version now and then (okay, maybe more than now and then), this homemade sweet potato mac and cheese takes just as much time to make – and is so much creamier and more flavorful. Plus, it sneaks in a veggie or two, which means you can mentally check off the “good parent” box for the day. ✔️

We start by boiling the pasta and tossing in frozen peas during the last few minutes to warm them through. Not a pea fan? No problem. You can skip them or swap in:

🥦 broccoli
🤍 cauliflower
🫛 edamame

At the same time, steam a sweet potato (or frozen sweet potato chunks) until tender. Blend it until smooth with a few simple spices, then add it right back to the pasta pot with butter and cheese. Stir everything together, add the noodles back in, and you’re done.

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese Video

Ingredients

Spread of ingredients for sweet potato mac & cheese labeled with their names against a white background on top of a blue napkin.

Let’s Get Cooking –>

A white plate with two sweet potatoes on it
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add peas (if using). Drain. Meanwhile, microwave the sweet potato until tender.
A small blender with puréed sweet potatoes, spices and milk for the macaroni and cheese.
Add the sweet potato, milk and spices to a blender and puree until smooth.
Silver sauce pan with sweet potato purée in butter.
In the same pot you made pasta in, over medium-low heat, add the butter and let melt. Add in sweet potato puree and stir.
Silver sauce pan with sweet potato purée, butter and cheddar cheese.
Add in the cheese and stir until melted.
A silver sauce pan with sweet potato mac & cheese with peas in it
Add in the pasta and stir until well-coated. If the sauce is too thick, add in some extra milk, a few tablespoons at a time
A dark blue kids plate on top of a light blue kids plate with a fun blue napkin, the bowl is full of sweet potato macaroni and cheese with peas.
Serve with a side of fruit and a glass of milk and call it a day!
Fun colored kids plates and bowls full of shell pasta made into sweet potato macaroni and cheese with peas.

Get the recipe: Easy-Cheesy Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

5 stars (9 ratings)
If you need a fast, one-pot dinner that checks all the boxes – easy, flavorful, comforting, and veggie-packed – then this Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese is it. Ready in less than 20 minutes and loved by the entire family, it’s the kind of weeknight win you’ll come back to again and again.
Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

  • 16 oz pasta
  • 1 cup sweet potato (roughly 2 small sweet potatoes), see notes below
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 oz or 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box. If adding peas (optional), when you have 2 minutes left on your timer, add in the peas. Drain pasta and peas.
  • Meanwhile, poke a sweet potato with a fork and microwave for 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly and then remove the sweet potato skin, adding the sweet potato to a blender. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and milk and puree for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
  • In the same pot, over medium-low heat, add the butter and let melt. Add in sweet potato puree and stir.
  • Add in the cheese and stir until melted.
  • Add in the pasta and stir until well-coated. If the sauce is too thick, add in some extra milk a few tablespoons at a time.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Age: can be served to 6+ months, but read tips above.
Notes on Sweet Potato: you can also use frozen sweet potato that is steamed in it’s bag or over boiling water, cubed fresh sweet potato that you boil in the pasta water for 8-10 minutes before adding in the pasta, roasted sweet potatoes, canned sweet potato puree (without any other ingredients), or a plain sweet potato baby puree.
Storage: store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When reheating add in more milk and stir until the cheese is smooth. 
Recipe Tips
  • Shredding your own cheese is preferred, as it melts better than pre-shredded.
  • Feel free to use sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese for a stronger cheese flavor more similar to traditional mac and cheese or go with a mild cheddar for a softer flavor.
  • To make meal prep even quicker, you can go with canned sweet potato puree. Mix it right into the cooked pasta, along with the spices and milk.
  • For older toddlers and kids, set out a few different topping choices that they can sprinkle over their bowl, such as bacon crumbles, everything bagel seasoning, panko breadcrumbs, or grated parmesan cheese.  
  • To serve to babies under one, you can spoon a portion of the cooked pasta into your baby’s bowl and then top it with a small amount of the sweet potato cheese sauce or the sweet potato sauce before you add in the cheese.
Variations: You can make this sweet potato mac and cheese as is or try adding some of these fun variations…
  • Peas
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Cooked chicken
  • Bacon
  • Shelled Edamame
  • A handful of mozzarella, parmesan, gruyère, fontina, smoked gouda, or pepper jack cheese
  • A couple of tablespoons of cream cheese
  • Top with green onions or crispy panko breadcrumbs
Serving: 1g, Calories: 287kcal, Carbohydrates: 38.6g, Protein: 11.6g, Fat: 9.6g, Saturated Fat: 5.4g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 148mg, Potassium: 269mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3.3g, Calcium: 149mg, Iron: 3mg

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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).