Cajun Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar
• 1 1/2 cups shredded habanero cheddar
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 cup panko
• 2 Richard’s andouille sausage links, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 red chili, diced
• 1 garlic glove, minced
• chopped parsley, for garnish
• 1 bag of Cavatappi pasta

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large pot of boiled salted water, cook the paste al dente. Drain well and return pasta to the pot.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Reduce heat and add butter, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour little by little until the mixture is smooth. Add cheese and continue to stir until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the panko and toast over moderately high heat, stirring until moderately brown (about 3 minutes). TransJalapeños are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapeños have a balanced combination of flavor and heat. The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties.fer to a bowl.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage, pepper and onions until slightly browned (about 4 minutes).
6. Stir in the cheese sauce and the sausage mix into the noodles. Spoon into a baking dish and top with the toasted panko. Add extra shredded cheese to the top if you’d like. Bake 8-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Recipe from Out To Eat, 2016