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This light(er) macaroni and cheese recipe gets a burst of flavor and texture from mashed sweet potato and a great sharp cheddar cheese.

I'm going to make this short and sweet because there is a lot of mac and cheese to get to. I'm not just talking about this light version, which gets much of its creaminess from mashed sweet potatoes, but the other creative mac and cheese recipes from a bunch of fellow food bloggers.

You see, this post is my contribution to Mac and Cheese Mania, a fun and gooey evented hosted by Rachel of Rachel Cooks and Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny.

Let's put the sweet potato mac and cheese recipe in the spotlight for the moment. I lightened this panko-crusted baked pasta dish by using skim milk to make the cheese sauce. Does this make it watery and any less creamy? Not a chance.

Instead the richness comes from the mashed sweet potato and an easy cheese sauce thickened with a quick roux (olive oil with flour, in this case). The cheese sauce is mixed with a little Dijon mustard and grated nutmeg for an extra layer of flavor.

One of the tricks to putting lots of flavor into a lightened-up baked pasta dish is to use good-quality cheese. In this case, I used a great sharp white cheddar cheese that melted beautifully and packed a punch of flavor with just a small amount of cheese.

The mac 'n cheese recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 11- by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork. Cook in a microwave until the sweet potato is very tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and, when cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a shallow dish. With the back of a fork, mash the sweet potato until well-mashed and almost smooth.

In a large nonstick saucepan, cook the elbow pasta about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In the same saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

While whisking, gradually pour the vegetable broth and skim milk into the flour mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the mashed sweet potato, grated cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl stir together the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake until the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler for 1 minute, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Watch carefully so that the breadcrumbs don't burn. Serve.

If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

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