Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

Spicy Sausage Mac

Serves 4

Five in 25

Five Ingredients

12 oz dried pasta (macaroni, ziti, cavatappi, rigatoni, etc.)

12 oz sausage*

12 oz evaporated milk

12 oz freshly grated cheese**

2 cans (10 oz each) rotel, drained

From the Pantry

1 T olive oil

Cut sausage into rounds/dice. Add 1 T olive oil and sausage to a skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until warmed through and browned. Set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook just shy of al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Return pasta to the pot and add drained cans of rotel, milk and half of the cheese. Turn heat to medium-low and stir vigorously until cheese is mostly melted. Add remaining cheese and stir until combined. Add the sausage and mix it in. This pasta will thicken considerably as it cools/sits. Use the reserved pasta cooking liquid to adjust the consistency to your preference.

Serve immediately, topped with fresh herbs and hot sauce if desired.

*We use a smoked beef sausage that’s already cooked for this dish, but any pre-cooked/smoked sausage will work the same in this preparation.

**Cheddar or colby jack are our favorite cheeses for this dish but mix and match with whatever you have around! Just make sure it is freshly grated if you want the smoothest, creamiest texture.