My picture from the Facebook page. :)
Oh how we here at the renegade foodie kitchen hate cold yucky rain days (we had 15 days of rain off and on) but there are times when drastic yucky days call for a one dish wonder meal that hits all the right spots and this is it!
Daughter 2 has issues with sodium nitrates which does make for fun hunting for meats that are smoked and etc to use. For this I had to use a chorizo sausage since it was the only sodium nitrate free sausage I could find. Normally the recipe calls for a polish or smoked sausage.
I use a souffle dish because it's big and works great for this recipe. I also make sure to coat the bottom with homemade baker's magic which is nothing more than coconut oil and flour mixed to make a paste. It's shelf stable and doesn't require refrigeration at all.
It's simple it's equal parts of coconut oil that is cold pressed and flour. If your gluten free use cup for cup or other gluten flour. I store mine in a pint jar that looks like this...
Smokey Lumberjack Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
1 box elbow macaroni
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. flour (or cup for cup)
5 1/2 c. milk divided
2 1/2 c. shredded smoked gouda
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese ( I like mild)
1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. Parmesan ( I omitted this because I feel that Parmesan cheese is very salty)
1 pkg. Polish/smoked sausage ( I used sodium nitrate free chorizo)
1/2 c. dried bread crumbs (I used panko to give it a nice little crunch)
1/2 - 1 tsp. liquid smoke
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C.
Cut the sausage into bit sized pieces and set aside. You will need it in another step.
Fill pot with lightly-salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni into the water and return to a boil. Check and occasionally stir until the pasta is almost al dente. The reason for this is it will reach al dente once baked. Drain pasta and set aside.
Add flour to the melted butter and whisk to create a roux. THIS IS IMPORTANT! This is the most important step to get that creamy thick cheese sauce your about to create. Whisk 2 cups of the milk into the roux until smooth and then add remaining milk. Raise the heat to medium high and continue to cook and stirring until thickened but not boiling. Stir in cheeses into the mixture ; once the cheeses have melted completely, fold in the macaroni and the sausage with the liquid smoke.
Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish or large souffle dish prepared with non stick cooking spray/ homemade baker's magic. Smooth the top a bit and breadcrumbs. Bake in preheated oven until golden and bubbly for about 30 min. Allow to rest for 10 min. before serving. Best with crusty rolls if you like.
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