Macaroni And Cheese With Sausage Peppers And Onions Recipes

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 3/4 cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta; set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces, about 5 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the bell pepper, onion and a pinch of salt to the drippings in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer to the plate with the sausage.
• Carefully wipe out the pot, add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Gradually whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere, 1 handful at time, until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat.
• Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta cooking water to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the sausage and vegetables; adjust the seasoning with additional salt. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

SAUSAGE MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the green pepper, onion, oregano and pepper. Stir in tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes., Stir in macaroni and 2 tablespoons cheese. Transfer to an ungreased 1-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you're planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish instead of a skillet, butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
• Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. (You will need to do this several times.)
• While the onions are cooking, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each baguette slice with garlic.
• When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
• Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
• Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up. Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

SAUSAGE & PEPPER MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and put back in pasta pot.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over me dium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic.
• Saute the veggies until they get soft and the liquid from the peppers starts to evaporate.
• While this is cooking, take the sausage without casings and cook in a small skillet until cooked through, breaking up big pieces like you would ground beef.
• When the meat is cooked add to the pasta in the pasta pot.
• When the liquid in the veggies is almost gone and they are soft, a dd the flour and stir continuously for a couple minutes.
• Now add the milk and stir well.
• Stir the milk mixture occasionally until it thickens.
• Then add the 2 cups cheddar, 1 cup of the swiss and the 1 cup gorgonzola, and stir till melted.
• Add salt, pepper, and basil to the cheese sauce.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and sausage in the pasta pot and stir well.
• Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Sprinkle the crushed croutons and 1 cup swiss cheese evenly over the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until browned a little on top.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SAUSAGE, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Follow the recipe for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese.
• Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up as it fries, until it loses its raw color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and pepper slices, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add basil, then stir mixture into macaroni. Serve hot.