Alpine Mac'n Cheese

This recipe it taken out of Cuisine at Home (Feb. 2012 edition).

I had made a cajun mac and cheese earlier in the month, but given that my husband loves anything with kielbasa, cheese, and pasta- I figured it couldn't hurt to try another recipe. This one is a 'fancier' version of what we usually make in our house- and invovles some cheeses I've never made mac and cheese with before. Look at us- all fancypants with our cheese that really isn't all that fancy- its just not served in 'singles' like the Kraft stuff is.

One word of advice: cut back on the amount of dijon used- I had already cut it back in the recipe to appeal to my audience of picky eaters, and it was still strong in the dish!

Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home

Alpine Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (we used panko for a crunch)
* 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley (omitted in ours- alex hates flakey green things)
* 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

* 8 oz cavatappi or elbow pasta
* 8 oz kielbasa sausage
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 2 tbsp unsalted butter
* 2 tbsp minced shallots
* 1 tbsp caraway seeds

* 2 tbsp flour
* 2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
* 1 cup shredded gouda
* 1 cup appenzeller, gruyere, or emmental cheese (we used gruyere)
* 3 tbsp dijon mustard (i used 2 and it was still strong tasting)
* 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

To Make:

* Preheat oven to 400. coat casserole dish with nonstick spray
* for topping: combine crumbs, parsley, and melted butter in a bowl. set aside
* cook pasta in salted boiling water, drain, set aside
* brown kielbasa in a pan with olive oil. drain on paper-towel covered plate
* melt 2 tbsp butter in same pot over medium heat, add shallots, caraway seed. cook until seeds are toasted (we omitted seeds)
* whisk in flour. cook one minute. whisk in milk, cook until slightly thickened. reduce heat to low. add cheeses by the handful, whisking until melted.
* stir in dijon and worcestershire sauce. then add pasta. then add sausage. transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle crumb topping over the top.
* bake until sauce is bubbly and crumbs are brown- about 20 minutes.

Guest Blogger: Kristin Basiaga

Kristin (Polska) Basiaga (Kielbasa)

I have grown up eating Polish Sausage, however I wanted to make something different than the usual standard of just frying it up and eating it with Mac and Cheese. Nothing wrong with that… I just like to try new things.

Away to Google I went! There I came across a yummy looking recipe here. I decided to try the Italian Kielbasa Casserole.  I will be trying the other recipe soon…

It turned out really well and Scott even said he was craving it a few days after I had made it! Thankfully it made quite a bit and the leftovers were still delicious.

The ingredients are listed below.

1 package of Polska Kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 package (16 oz) rotini pasta

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs

8-12 oz of shredded mozzaralla

To begin this delicious meal, cook the pasta according to package directions. Don’t accidentally NOT cook the pasta. It is a pain to sort through everything once you’re mixed it all together. Anyway, drain the pasta after it is cooked. Place the pasta in a 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. If using two pans, you may freeze one before baking to serve later. Add in the kielbasa, spaghetti sauce, and undrained tomatoes. Top the casserole with mozzarella cheese. I also added some cheddar cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes with the foil on. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!! So easy, so delicious!



Editor's Sidenote: Dear Kristin Lynn- what kind of idiot doesn't know to cook the pasta for a casserole. Oh wait, that's me. Nevermind! Love you! -Kelsey Cooker