Sweet Potato Chile Mac

Made this for dinner tonight, from the February issue of Cooking Light. All the Crawfords gave it two thumbs way up! Even Ellie!! As with most CL recipes, it turned out just as expected and took the exact amount of time indicated. (This might be a weekend meal for you work-away-from-homers as it does take an hour to bake the sweet potatoes, but everything else can be prepared while the taters bake.) I made it with wagon wheel pasta, and only used one chopped chipotle in adobo sauce. Pete and I have been burned before with chipotles in adobo so I usually halve whatever is called for in a recipe, plus the baby girl was dining with us and I didn't want smoke to come out of her ears. If you don't like heat, I'm certain this would be just as delicious sans chipotles.

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup packed)
• 8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat macaroni or penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl. Stir in milk and next 4 ingredients (through cheese).
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add pasta to sweet potato mixture; set aside.
4. Preheat broiler to high.
5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chorizo to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Place chorizo in a small bowl. Wipe pan clean. Spoon sweet potato mixture into pan; sprinkle evenly with chorizo. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Sprinkle with onions and cilantro.