Kicked Up Sausage Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse.
Ingredients
- 9 tbsp Butter, unsalted, divided
- 1/2 lb Elbow macaroni
- 1 lb Pork sausage, homemade-style spicy, removed from casings and crumbled
- 1 cup Onion, yellow, chopped
- 1/2 cup Bell pepper, green, chopped
- 1 tbsp Creole seasoning, Emeril's Essence, divided
- 4 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Anise seed
- 1/2 cup Flour, all-purpose
- 3 cup Milk, whole
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 3 cup Cheddar, sharp, grated (8 ounces)
- 1/2 cup Bread crumbs, fine dry
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large casserole with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
- Add the onions, bell peppers and 1 teaspoon Essence and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and anise and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Melt the remaining stick of butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes without browning. Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and cook until thick and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Off the heat add the salt, pepper, cayenne and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir in the noodles, sausage and vegetables and pour into the dish.
- Combine the remaining cheese, bread crumbs and remaining 2 teaspoons Essence and sprinkle over the top. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.