Loaded Mac and Cheese

Name: Loaded Mac and Cheese
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb crumbled Italian sausage; 1 large red pepper, diced; 1 lb elbow macaroni; 1 onion, diced; 1 dash pepper; 1 dash salt; 1 dash paprika; 1 dash garlic powder; 1 dash red pepper flakes; 1 dash onion powder; 1 dash oregano; 1 dash cayenne; 1 can condensed milk, 12 oz; 1 tsp ground mustard; 2 large eggs; 8 slices American cheese shredded, about 8 ounces; 1 lb melting cheese (gouda, cheddar, etc.); sriracha sauce; milk; 1 stick unsalted butter; 1/2 cup flour; sour cream and parsley for garnish

Jon Valdez @cook_4394621

Germany

This is a quick, creamy macaroni and cheese with a little extra. Adding the sausage, peppers and onions makes this a full meal. Experiment with different types of cheese that melt well: cheddar gouda, fontaine, provolone, swiss, gruyere, muenster, jack, etc. I used gouda in the pictures.

Jon Valdez @cook_4394621

Saved

Ingredients

60 mins

6 servings

1 lbcrumbled Italian sausage
1large red pepper, diced
1 lbelbow macaroni
1onion, diced
1 dashpepper
1 dashsalt
1 dashpaprika
1 dashgarlic powder
1 dashred pepper flakes
1 dashonion powder
1 dashoregano
1 dashcayenne
1 cancondensed milk, 12 oz
1 tspground mustard
2large eggs
8 slicesAmerican cheese shredded, about 8 ounces
1 lbmelting cheese (gouda, cheddar, etc.)
sriracha sauce
milk
1 stickunsalted butter
1/2 cupflour
sour cream and parsley for garnish

Saved

Steps

60 mins

1

Bring a large pot of water (with at least a couple inches of water above the macaroni) to boil with macaroni in the water. Once it boils cover and remove from heat. Let pasta soak for about 8 minutes. This is a little trick from Serious Eats. It cooks the same as when you add the pasta too boiling water, but it's quicker and uses less energy.
2

In the meantime, brown crumbled sausage in a large skillet. When done drain sausage and put to the side in a large bowl. Reserve a little grease in the pan.
3

Cook onions and peppers in reserved grease. Lay out in a single layer and allow to cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. This will get some nice browning. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion and garlic powders. About a dash of each. When you do stir the vegetables, make sure to scrape the bottome of the pan to get as much of the frond (yummy browned bits) off the pan and onto your food.
4

When the onions are translucent and the peppers are slightly tender (about 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat) transfer the veggies to the bowl with the sausage. Mix them around, then cover and save for later
5

Combine condensed milk, ground mustard, american cheese (I recommend shredding the slices individually with your fingers. If you try to stack them and cut you will spend a good amount of time prying the cheese slices from their brethren), melting cheese of your choice, and sriracha sauce. Mix to a uniform consistency.
6

By this time your pasta should be done, drain and toss with some olive oil to prevent sticking, out to the side. This will all come together in about 5 minutes.
7

Take a large pot (this is where you'll put everything together) and melt the stick of butter over medium heat. When completely melted add flour and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Don't you dare stop stirring! Just kidding, but seriously, you want to keep the contents moving. We don't want the flour to burn on us.
8

Add pasta and sausage mixture to the pot. Toss to coat in the butter mixture.
9

Pour in cheese mixture and start stirring. There is a lot going on here so your best bet to get a uniform distribution is to work your utensil to the bottom of the pot and continue to slowly fold the pasta from the bottom into the center.
10

Continue to stir and it will begin to resemble Mac and cheese. Work in a little milk (about a tbsp) to make stirring a little easier.
11

Take this opportunity to season to taste with salt pepper and siracha.
12

You're finished stirring when the cheese is a gooey uniform mixture and there is no bits of solid cheese left. Like this! Enjoy