Recipes that are simple and delicious.
Mac and cheese has got to be a top ten comfort food. I’ve made all sorts of different kinds of mac and cheese in my lifetime, and granted that it is summer time here in Wisconsin that did not stop me from making another delicious […]
This past weekend was one of relaxation. We normally do not get these with the three kids having some sort of schedule, but my son had a sleepover, and my wife had pretty much came out and said ‘I don’t want to do much this […]
I don’t remember growing up if I was that big of a fan of mac and cheese. I think we ate more mashed potatoes more than anything when it came to side dishes, but that is not to say that I do not love mac and cheese. Mac and cheese could very well be one of the top ten comfort dishes of all times, and with that said, everyone makes their mac and cheese their way. I think I have mastered mine in terms of the sauce over the last year, and sure you probably know I love mac and cheese as well. I’ve made everything from a three cheese mac, a loaded pizza mac and cheese, a jalapeno and bacon mac and cheese, a nacho style mac and cheese, a beer mac and cheese, a mac and cheese burger, and heck, even a buffalo mac and cheese pizza, because why not? But not too long ago I had a real craving for something southern, like jambalaya, or gumbo, so that led me to thinking I wanted to take some of those flavors and introduce them into a mac and cheese, hence this Cajun style mac and cheese recipe.
This recipe is not only simple to make, but wow does it back great textures and flavors.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
Cook your pasta, about one minute under the proposed al dente time. Drain, and place the pasta into a mixing bowl.
To make the cheese sauce, start by melting the butter in a sauce pot. Once melted, add in your flour, and stir for about 4 minutes or so with a wooden spoon. This is the start of your sauce. You want to cook the flour out, but not burn it. Slowly add in the milk, and continue to stir with a wooden spoon. You will keep stirring, yes, you will get a nice arm workout, until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce thickens, add one American cheese slice at a time until each slice melts. Add another slice, and repeat. Then, slowly add in the cheddar, one handful at a time. You want a smooth cheese sauce here. Add in the cayenne pepper. If you add too quickly, the cheese could get stringy, so just keep that in mind.
Pour the cheese sauce into the cooked noodles, and give a good mix.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat, then add in the oil.
Add in the sausage, and cook until lightly crisp. Toss in the onions, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until the onions sweat through but still have a bit of texture. I’m not going for overly soft vegetables on this one. Once cooked, add to the pasta bowl, and stir to combine everything.
Taste, and season with any desired amount of salt. Dig in.
This cajun style mac and cheese was awesome. It was perfectly cheesy, and when biting into it you get that great holy trinity along with the perfectly spiced, and texture andouille sausage nuggets. I’ve made some good mac and cheese in my time, but this one escalated to one of my favorites, plus it filled my hankering for that southern craving.
Some times I come up with some crazy recipe when I scavenge through my refrigerator. This again is one of those times, and it was all due to some leftover mac and cheese that my kid had his fill on. I wasn’t going to let […]
I’m crazy about a good mac and cheese, and as I have been making a variety for the past handful of years, I think we all decided that this bacon and jalapeno mac and cheese might just be the winner. Not too long ago I […]
I have been on a pizza kick for the past month. Our Friday night fish fry has turned into a call out your own pizza night, and I give credit to extremely easy pizza dough. I’ve said it before, but I love pizza, and everything about it. You can either toss a thin crust, medium crust, or heck even go deep dish, and the toppings can get at simple as sauce and basil with a bit of cheese, or heck, even something as creative as the feta and grape pizza.
Our standard pizza has been a pepperoni, mushroom, and onion pizza, but personally I like loading one up with some hot Italian sausage, garlic, pepperoni, and black olives, even the occasional bell pepper tossed into the mix makes me happy. As I was making the pizzas, a thought came into my head. It could have been that I recently made the buffalo chicken mac and cheese pizza where mac and cheese was running through my mind, not sure, but I thought about making a mac and cheese that was loaded with everything I wanted in my pizza, hence the loaded pizza mac and cheese.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
Start by making the base for the mac and cheese. Cook your pasta, drain, and set it to the side.
To a sauce pot add the butter and cook on medium heat until it is melted. Toss in the flour, and give a good stir using a wooden spoon of course. Continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring, and cook the flour out. Pour in the milk, and continue to stir until the sauce gets nice and thick.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Add the noodles to a large mixing bowl, and add in the minced onion and garlic. Top with the tomato sauce, and cheeses, then pour the sauce over the top. Top with the olives, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. Use that wooden spoon and give a good stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Pour this into a large casserole dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, then when done, uncover and cook another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit for about 20 minutes to let things sit.
Plating is easy. Get a nice scoop out of the dish and place on your plate. There is nothing fancy to the plating here, and you will note that at first bite you get that great aroma from what you would expect in a supreme pizza, but everything you wanted in a mac and cheese! Give this one a shot, and make it your own. Take what you want in your pizza and make a mac and cheese out of it! Hope you enjoy.
