Okra Mac and Cheese with Andouille Sausage
This baked mac and cheese is loaded with andouille sausage, okra, Creole seasoning, and white cheddar and Gruyère cheeses.
Ingredients
-
1 pound uncooked short pasta (such as casarecce, cavatappi, or penne)
-
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
-
2 pounds fresh okra, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 1/2 cups)
-
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into half-moons (about 3 cups)
-
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
-
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)
-
1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
-
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-
3 cups evaporated milk
-
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (such as Zatarain’s)
-
2 teaspoons dry mustard
-
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
-
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
-
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
-
Chopped fresh parsley and sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Stir in pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Drain pasta, and transfer to a large bowl.
-
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep skillet over high until shimmering. Add okra, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir okra into cooked pasta. Place skillet over medium-high, and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to pasta mixture. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add onion to reserved drippings in skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes, adding garlic during final 1 minute of cook time. Remove from heat. Transfer onion mixture to pasta mixture; stir to combine. Wipe skillet clean.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F with oven rack about 10 inches from heat. Melt butter in reserved skillet over medium. Sprinkle with flour; cook, whisking constantly, until flour mixture is blond in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add evaporated milk, whisking constantly, and bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened and lightly coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in Creole seasoning, dry mustard, and ground white pepper. Whisk in 1 cup white cheddar cheese and 1 cup Gruyère cheese until smooth and melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour sauce over pasta mixture, and stir to combine.
-
Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish with butter. Pour half of pasta mixture into baking dish, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup cheddar and remaining 1 cup Gruyère. Top evenly with remaining pasta mixture, and spread in an even layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
-
Bake in preheated oven until hot, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven. Increase oven temperature to broil. Uncover baking dish, and immediately return to oven. Broil mac and cheese until top is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and scallions.
You might also like
