GMA Recipe: Emeril's Kicked-Up Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

Click here for
Recent Recipes
(presented in the past few months)

The following are recipes categorized from the archives of recipes broadcast on Good Morning America.

Appetizers

Breakfast

Beverages

Breads
Desserts

Cakes

Cookies

Pies

Other Desserts

Fish

Low Fat/Low Carb

Holidays

Meat

Pasta

Poultry

Quick Recipes

Sandwiches

Salads

Side Dishes

Soups

Vegetables

Emeril's Kicked-Up Sausage Macaroni and Cheese
From chef and author Emeril Lagasse
January 11, 2008

Mac and cheese seems like a pretty basic meal. Take some pasta and some cheese and you're done, but the comfort classic has branched out! The popular American staple now has many varieties, including this one that chef Emeril Lagasse cooked up on Good Morning America.

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1 pound homemade-style spicy pork sausage, removed from casings and crumbled

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers

1 tablespoon Essence

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon anise seeds

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Butter a large casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.

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. Add the onions, bell peppers, and 1 teaspoon of the Essence, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and anise seeds, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Melt the remaining 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. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Add the noodles, cooked sausage and vegetables, and stir well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of cheese with the bread crumbs and remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse © 1997, Emeril's Food of Love Productions.