Hard Core Mac n Cheese

Brandon's first attempt at making mac and cheese happened a few years ago in Hawaii and was met with rave reviews. He based it on Emeril's Kicked Up Sausage Macaroni and Cheese and kicked it up a bit himself. This weekend he tried it again and I think it was even more delicious this time around! Be warned, though - this is dirty dirty DIRTY! (We also quadrupled the recipe - we had a lot of mouths to feed!)

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound pasta (we used Mezzi Rigatoni)
• 1 pound andouille sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions (optional)
• 1 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 2 jalapenos seeded veined and chopped (optional)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1.5 cups grated pepper jack cheese (4 ounces)
• 3/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce (to taste)
• 2-3 strips of bacon

Cheeeeeeeesy...

Lots of sausage and noodles.



Directions

1. Place bacon on aluminum foil on cookie sheet. Turn oven on to 400. Place bacon in cold oven and check 17-20 minutes later and remove when done.
2. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.
3. Butter a large casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
5. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, stirring until browned and the fat is rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
6. Add the onions, bell peppers, and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
8. Melt the remaining stick of butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown.
9. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
10. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well.
11. Add the noodles, cooked sausage, and vegetables. Stir well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
12. Chop the bacon finely.
13. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of cheese with the breadcrumbs and chopped bacon. Sprinkle over the pasta and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
14. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the end result:

Closeup:


Brandon also smoked some pork tenderloin. He used his mixture of spices: garlic salt, coarse ground black pepper, red pepper flake, oregano, chili powder, and let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge...



...and then put it in the smoker for about 3 hours at 225-250 degrees. It turned out spectacular!



Along with some grilled asparagus, zucchini, and broccoli, this meal was quite a hit!