Recipes

Apple & Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

  • Serves

    serves 6

  • Cook

    1 hour 30 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FARIDEH SADEGHIN

By Farideh Sadeghin


Published on October 12, 2015

Fresh apples plus hard cider give this easy mac and cheese a double dose of fall flavors.

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 lb. pork sausages (about 4), casings removed
  • 1 12 tbsp. minced fresh sage
  • 1 lb. red apples (about 3), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 13 cup flour
  • 1 cup Angry Orchard Stone Dry Apple Cider
  • 2 12 cups milk
  • 8 oz. mild cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. Lumache pasta, or elbows

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high; add onion and cook 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 10-12 minutes. Add sage and apple and cook 5 minutes more; add flour and cook 2 minutes. Add cider and cook 2 minutes, then add milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 8-10 minutes. Stir in half of the cheese, salt, and pepper and cook until cheese has melted.

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to cheese sauce and stir well to coat. Spread pasta in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Step 3

Transfer baking dish to a baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.