Sweet Potato Gruyère Mac & Cheese

Mondays are rough. This one was particularly rough. I may or may not have cried before 8 am and Quin found flowers and a card on her desk from a socially inept not-so-secret admirer. We deserved mac and cheese.

This recipe morphed a bit from the original "Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese" recipe I found in my Cooking Light. As usual, Trader Joes was missing a few important ingredients for this dinner, namely the butternut squash. So Quin tried Safeway on her way home - no squash. I suggested pumpkin puree. No pumpkin puree. Sweet potatoes? Check. 

Result: amazing. We all had seconds, some had thirds. That's probably not what Cooking Light had intended.

Sweet Potato Gruyère Mac & Cheese

3 cups butternut squash sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
1 pound uncooked cavatappi wheat penne
Cooking spray
1/2 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley basil

Preheat oven to 375. Boil pasta until just al dente. Microwave sweet potatoes for 7-10 minutes, or until soft. 

In a large skillet, add milk, chicken stock and garlic over medium heat. Scoop out potatoes from skins into skillet and mash/mix with a fork until combined (you can blend together in food processor if desired). Simmer mixture for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add Greek yogurt and Gruyère, pecorino Romano and 2 tablespoons Parm. Add to pasta and mix well. 

Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and add pasta mixture. Coat with breadcrumbs and Parm. Bake for 15-20 or until bubbling. Top with basil.