I never thought I would meet a mac and cheese that I didn’t love. I could probably say I didn’t like it that much. Sorry. I feel betrayed. All of that good gooey cheese, ritz crackers, apple -sausage, just begging to come together to make something great.
Fail. Epic.
First of all, this recipe came from the Food Network Kitchens. You would think since they test these things, it would be fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, it had all of the makings and should have been wonderful. Actually, a little tweaking and these flavors could be lovely.
The cheese sauce was so abundant and rich. The shells were enveloped nicely, and had the flavor not been so sweet, it would have been magical.
The crispy Ritz topping mixed with the cheese (who doesn’t love Ritz and cheese?) was great. On a different recipe, it might work. The forethought (and some reviews from other home cooks) led me to reduce the {three cups!} of apple juice from the onset. This was a good recipe to try new flavors, but not really a contender in the quest.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound medium pasta shells
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 6 ounces chicken-apple sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups apple juice
- 1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 cups)
- 1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 35 small butter crackers (1 sleeve Ritz), crushed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 1/2 -quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, mustard powder, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the sausage is golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apple juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 8 more minutes.
- Slowly stir about three-quarters each of the monterey jack and cheddar cheese into the sauce until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pasta and sour cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the crushed crackers and the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Here is what you may have missed on the quest:
Gouda Mac and Cheese Grown Up Mac and Cheese A Classic Recipe A Martha Stewart Recipe Emeril’s Best Ever Mac n Cheese Challenge
