Cajun-Style Stove-Top Mac & Cheese

The other day a friend of mine pointed me to this Food Network link of 50 Mac& Cheese Recipes. As I scanned through all the glorious options I knew I was going to try my hand at several variations. This week as I was planning my menu, I looked through the different recipes and noticed one titled “Andouille  Mac & Cheese.” Now I just so happened to have some smoked sausage leftover from last week and this looked like the perfect recipe to use it up. I figured smoked sausage would be a comparable substitute for andouille. The recipe also called for Peppadew peppers which I’d never heard of, but upon further investigation found that pimentos were an acceptable substitute. So I sort of made the andouille mac & cheese, but sort of not. So I decided to provide you with the recipe as written with my variations thrown in.

By the way, it turned out fabulous and was on the table in less than 30 minutes! I can’t wait to try a different kind!

• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni or other small pasta
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 ½ cups grated mild yellow cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup diced processed cheese, such as Velveeta
• 6 ounces browned diced andouille or smoked sausage
• 1/3 cup chopped Peppadew peppers  or  4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
• 1 sliced scallion
• Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour, Cajun seasoning, mustard powder, and cayenne and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in the evaporated milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cheeses until melted, then add the pasta, sausage, and pimentos. Add just enough of the reserved cooking water to make a thick sauce. Season with salt and black pepper and garnish with sliced scallion.