Maria’s Cajun Mac Recipe
A spicy and cheesy pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 1 box of shell or elbow noodles
- ½ lb of American cheese
- ½ lb of habanero jack cheese shredded
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup panko
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 12 oz andouille sausage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ red onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 3 cups pasta water reserved
- 3 strips bacon
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Tools
Large pot, large high-lip skillet, large skillet, cutting board, chef knife, 9×13 glass pan, aluminum foil, wooden spoon, rubber-coated whisk, tasting spoons, spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- In a large pot fill about ⅔ full with water, and add in bouillon cubes.
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium to high heat on the stove.
- Once at a boil, add in noodles, and turn the heat down to medium.
- When the noodles are Al Dente turn off the heat. Don’t strain them until after you have saved some of the water for the cheese sauce.
- In a large high lip skillet, melt butter over low to medium heat on the stove.
- Once butter is melted, spoon in flour and mix.
- Slowly pour in milk and pasta water (saved from the boiling noodles) making sure to incorporate the flour so there are no clumps. You should have a smooth gravy-like consistency.
- Over low heat, gradually add in the habanero and American cheeses.
- After they are completely melted in, dump the strained noodles into the cheese sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Set the noodle and cheese mix off to the side, and in a large skillet cook bacon to a crisp.
- Then, set bacon off to the side, and fry up diced red onion, jalapeño, and sliced andouille sausage in the bacon fat until sautéed. Season with Cajun seasoning.
- In a 9×13 glass pan, pour in half of the noodle mixture.
- On top of that layer, evenly distribute the sausage, onion, and jalapeño mix.
- Spread the remainder of the noodle mix on top.
- Sprinkle panko, cheddar cheese, and chopped bacon over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil and bake for another 10.
- Serve immediately.
Featured in season 2, episode 4 of the Great Minnesota Recipe.
