Cajun Baked Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is a staple in my house. I make it from scratch pretty regularly, but I do like to play with it some. While my stovetop mac & cheese is the absolute favorite of my kids – a do pretty well with the baked version too. The big difference between the two is how the sauce it made. For this recipe of Cajun Baked Mac & Cheese, I used the cream sauce with egg in it and add it separate from the cheese. It makes for a more casserole like denseness that you expect from a baked mac & cheese.

For this recipe I list a Cajun Seasoning (such as Old Bay Seasoning). As you know I often make my own spice blends in an effort to limit the amount of preservatives and salt in my spices. Old Bay is a combination of Celery Salt, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper and Black Pepper. However, as of yet, I have not been able to sort out the proper ratios to get the iconic flavor. So for now I prefer to leave this particular spice blend to the pros!

I opted to use Elbow Macaroni for this particular preparation, mostly to stick with the iconic image of what mac and cheese “should” look like. You could definitely swap it out for other short pastas like medium shells, cellantini, penne, rotini, etc. The great thing about short pastas is that for the most part, they all cook the same. I have even mixed and matched half bags of pasta to clear out the pantry, no joke!

Since this baked version of mac & cheese is more like a casserole – complete with meat – you really just need a veggie option on the side. Broccoli or green beans are a great option. You could also do a corn or corn on the cob. As always a great side is a small simple green salad.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Cajun Baked Mac & Cheese

A fun play on a homemade mac & cheese with the addition of Cajun spices and andouille sausage

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword andouille, andouille sausage, baked mac & cheese, cajun, cajun seasoning, cheddar, cheddar cheese, elbow macaroni, mac & cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
• 2 lb Andouille Sausage halved and sliced ¾inch pieces
• 4 cups Cheddar Cheese divided
• 3 Green Onions chopped
• ¼ cup Butter
• 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning divided (like Old Bay)
• 2 cup Milk
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2 Eggs beaten

Instructions

• Start water boiling for the pasta. (Salt water, if desired)
• In a mixing bowl, combine milk, sour cream, heavy cream, beaten eggs, and one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 350degF.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and return to pot away from heat. Add butter, half a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and 3 cups of cheese. Stir to combine. Then add sausage and milk mixture.
• Transfer mixture to 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, Cajun seasoning and green onions. Place in oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.