Mama’s Italian style Mac & Cheese makes 4 meals or 8-10 side dishes
A twist on the all American child pleasing dish makes it an adult fave!
- 1 lb. of your favorite pasta (elbows or penne)
- 1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, large dice
- 1 pepper, large dice
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- S & P to taste
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 T butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese (3/4 lb.)
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
- Prepare your pasta according to the package. Set aside.
- Heat up some EVOO in your Dutch oven, over medium heat, and brown the Kielbasa on all sides.
- When the meat starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, and there’s a nice crispness to the edges of the chunks, throw in the onions, peppers and garlic along with all the spices and stir.
- When the veggies are softened, (and your kitchen smells heavenly!), push the contents of the pot out to the edges (make a well), and add the butter and about 1 T of EVOO. Immediately add the flour to the center with the oil.
- Stir them together well and when the flour is absorbed, mix the entire contents of the pot together to coat everything with the flour mixture.
- Cook for a minute or so, or until you fear the whole thing is going to burn, then pour in the Chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot (scrape all the cooked on goodness from the bottom of the pan). I find that a bamboo spoon works best for this. It should feel very thick and creamy, almost like a paste.
- Add your cheese and the milk. Turn off the heat and add your strained pasta.
- Blend well and voila! You did it!
View video demonstration here: https://youtu.be/fQjycQz7qA4