This is a print preview of "Italian Sausage Mac & Cheese" recipe.

Italian Sausage Mac & Cheese Recipe
by Patti Fisher

Italian Sausage Mac & Cheese

It’s amazing how many recipe requests we get for macaroni & cheese. That’s fine with us, it’s quick, easy and has unlimited variations. We used Ken’s favorite hot Italian sausage along with lots of his cold smoked cheddar and Patti insisted on fresh broccoli to keep it healthy. Being it was 101 here today we were more than happy to bake it on our Pacific Living Outdoor Oven.

Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Pacific Living Outdoor Oven but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rain forest theme. Wood burning stove, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…

Rating: 4/5
Avg. 4/5 1 vote
Prep time: Italy Italian
Cook time: Servings: 6

Goes Well With: a crisp green salad, hearty red wine, A cold beer, garlic bread, good friends

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. cut pasta, cooked
  • 1 ½ lbs. bulk hot Italian sausage
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 3 cups smoked cheddar, cubed
  • fresh or frozen broccoli florets
  • 2 Tablespoons dried minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons Chef of the Future Honey Garlic Rub
  • 2 teaspoons white pepper
  • 2 cups fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. In large cast iron Dutch oven cook sausage with broccoli until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Cook pasta according to package directions. Patti adds a bit of oil to the pasta water so the noodles don’t stick. Add remaining ingredients (except Parmesan). Blend well. Simmer and stir until cheese is melted. Top with Parmesan cheese and into the Pacific Living Outdoor Oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (177c).
  2. We do our recipes on our patio where we have a lineup of grills, including Louisiana, Green Mountain, Royall, Memphis, Traeger pellet grills, Char Griller side box smoker, Saber, Charmglow, Char-Broil, The Big Easy, Pacific Living Outdoor Oven, Lodge Sportsman’s, Brinkman and Weber. I call it our “Wall of Grill”. Our grilling styles are healthy and low fat and will fit pelletheads, gas, natural wood and even charcoal purists. Almost any of our recipes can be done on any kind of good BBQ.
  3. The important thing to keep in mind is TIME & TEMPERATURE. You can even do some of them in the oven or crock pot, but, then you lose all the flavors you get from cooking outdoors. But sometimes it does rain.
  4. Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. Take it and run with it….
  5. For oven directions check out our website