Grown-Up Macaroni and Cheese
photo by ElizabethKnicely
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
6-8
ingredients
-
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1⁄4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream (I use fat free and it turns out fine)
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, low fat works great, fat free not so much
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 dash nutmeg (optional)
-
Finishing
- 1 lb cooked pasta (we prefer elbow, rigatoni, or medium size shells)
- 16 ounces sliced mushrooms, I use a mix of white and brown (baby bellas or cremini)
- 1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage, cut into coins (I use turkey)
- 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil
directions
- Sauté mushrooms in a little olive oil until cooked down; set aside.
- Sauté sausage coins in same skillet you used for the mushrooms until warmed through and lightly caramelized; combine with the mushrooms and keep warm.
- In a saucier or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until bubbles subside (you don't want to burn it or create a fully browned butter but want to head that direction for a nuttier taste to the sauce).
- Add flour and cook the roux, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes or until flour is fully cooked and mixture has reached a light, golden brown.
- Add 1/4 cup half & half, cream cheese, ground mustard, and pepper. Stir until fully incorporated into the roux.
- Slowly add remaining half & half, whisking constantly to break up any lumps and stir for 1-2 minutes or until you can just notice a slight thickening. This makes a very thin, creamy sauce. If you like it a lot thicker reduce half & half by 1/2 cup.
- Add shredded cheese (either reserve a small amount or shred extra if baking as a casserole) and stir for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until cheese has fully melted and flavors incorporate.
- While cheese sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
-
There are 2 serving options:
- Most of the time I simply combine pasta, cheese sauce, mushrooms, and sausage in a large serving bowl and eat it extra creamy.
- My husband prefers it baked. Combine all components in the pasta pot and then pour into a greased baking dish. Top with reserved/extra cheese and some breadcrumbs (if desired - we don't) and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
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Reviews
-
This was so good! I had to sub out sharp yellow cheddar for the sharp white cheddar because of our grocery budget and the white cheddar being a whopping $8.49 for 4 ounces and I used Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni as that's what I always use, but besides that I followed the rest of the ingredients precisely. I opted not to bake ours because it's been a long day and I just wanted to get dinner on the table quickly and we didn't think it needed the baking time. I served this with broccoli and cauliflower on the side and all 5 of us really liked it. It says "Grown-Up", but don't let that shy you away from it if you have children, because this was very family friendly. Thank you for a great comfort food meal tonight Baking Barb. Made for PAC Spring 2014.