Andouille Macaroni and Cheese

I am a macaroni and cheese lover from way back. Mom made it from scratch. Well, kind of from scratch. She used Velveeta and topped it with buttered cracker crumbs before baking it. Can you say YUM!

Fast forward to my young mother days. Mom never taught me how to make her mac and cheese...and the boxed kind was all we could afford, so that's what we ate. One day when we were visiting friends, the conversation went on longer than intended and everyone was hungry. "I'll just make some macaroni and cheese," she said. I was rather shocked when she pulled out her milk and real cheese (can you make mac and cheese with real cheese???) and then I was amazed at how quickly she whipped it up. While it wasn't as good as Mom's, it was still quite tasty.

I wish I could say that from then on there was no more boxed mac and cheese in our house! But, if I did, my kids would very rightly call me out on it and I would have to study the skies for stray lightning bolts. But, every now and again, I made it from scratch, and that increased in frequency over the following years.

Fast forwarding one more to a mere 9 years or so ago when I learned that I needed to eat gluten free if I didn't want to feel sick every day. At that time, gluten-free pasta was, well, in a word...disgusting. There were few options, and the ones that were out there were ultra-picky about how they were prepared. But times have changed, and it is now relatively easy to find decent gluten-free pasta - both in stores and restaurants (although many restaurants seriously over-cook it). The key to using GF pasta in this dish is to make sure it is not fully cooked before you mix it together and toss it in the oven.

With adult mac and cheese becoming as popular as adult coloring books, we encountered andouille mac and cheese at the NACAC conference in Columbus this past year. Well, Chuck encountered it...I just drooled a bit. I determined to bring an updated old favorite back into our menu, and here it is!




Andouille Macaroni and Cheese

  • 8 ounces macaroni
  • ~ 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces andouille sausage, thinly sliced (I used Open Nature Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage
  • 1/2 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 3/4 teaspoon granulated roasted garlic)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning - or spice mixture of your choice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 1/3 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded  Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
  1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 12".
  2. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain well in a colander. Set aside. If you are using gluten-free pasta, cook it a couple minutes shy of the directions so it doesn't turn to mush after cooking.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat with just enough oil to coat the bottom, cook the onion and peppers until soft. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. If using fresh garlic, add now and cook for about 2 minutes longer.
  4. Remove sausage, peppers and onions to a plate or bowl. 
  5. Add the butter to the same pan and heat over medium heat until melted and frothy. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Add seasoning and pepper. Gradually stir in the milk and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1 cup of each of the cheeses and continue stirring until melted. 
  6. Add sausage mixture and macaroni to skillet. Stir to combine. Spoon into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Serve with veggies of your choice.

Makes about 6 servings.

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