From My Cookbook…Dave’s Little Smokies Sausage Mac and Cheese Casserole
Now here is a casserole that is a bit out of the norm for me. That does not mean it’s not good. Very good. Something the whole family will enjoy! Check it out!
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
Introduction
Right up front, I’ll make a confession. This isn’t healthy food, and I wouldn’t typically recommend making it. I almost never use packaged little smokies or boxed macaroni and cheese. But I must say, after I enhance it a bit, it’s very good. Not something you would eat all the time, but if you have a busy family and you want something quick that will provide leftovers for later, it beats eating on the run or in the car! Enjoy this wonderful dish. And the kids will eat it, and that’s the important part! Just not all the time…
David Giustozzi’s Little Smokies Sausage Mac and Cheese Casserole
Everyone loves mac and cheese, and everyone loves Little Smokies! They are a natural pair, and it’s an easy, fun meal for the kids, too! Feel free to substitute hot dogs if you want. OK to double to feed a crowd!
Ingredients
1 package (14 oz.) Little Smokies, each cut into 3 pieces (Note 1)
1 package macaroni and cheese mix (Note 2)
½ cup milk (whole preferred, 2% OK)
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 can (10¾ ounces) condensed cream of celery soup
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Pure olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a steel or cast-iron skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, heat skillet on medium low and add Little Smokies (Note 3). Cook until just starting to turn brown on the edges. Set aside.
Cook macaroni in a large pan of boiling water according to package directions; drain well.
While macaroni is cooking, mix cheese sauce packet, milk and soup in a large glass bowl.
In a second large bowl combine cooked macaroni and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Stir in contents of first bowl. After well incorporated, add Little Smokies (Note 4).
Place mixture in a greased shallow 1.8L baking dish (Note 5). Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until heated through (Note 6).
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parsley if using. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Notes
Little Smokies are one of those things you always seem to have left over. Whether from a party or buying too much from the warehouse store, this is a good way to use them up! You can substitute hot dogs if you like, just cut them into bite sized pieces. Also, with the quantity, feel free to use more or less to suit your family’s taste or what you happen to have on hand.
You can make your own mac and cheese, but the idea behind this dish is to be simple and fast. The Kraft Mac and Cheese is the favorite around here. Not necessarily mine, but with the added cheese it’s pretty darn good. Also, disregard the package directions regarding butter and milk and use the directions listed above.
You can skip this step if you are in a hurry and just place the cut up little smokies or hot dogs directly into the mac and cheese. It will still be good; you will just lose one element of the flavor.
Be sure to scrape all of the fond and juice from the skillet into the macaroni for added flavor.
I like to use bacon grease to grease my casserole dish. You can use olive oil or even spray.
Before cooking, you can let your mac and cheese cool, cover and refrigerate and cook later if you want. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the center is warm and the cheese starts to melt and turn brown.
Have a black pepper grinder, cayenne pepper and Tabasco or other hot sauce for diners.
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Dave’s Little Smokies and Mac and Cheese Casserole
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What’s in it for me?
Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating hearty food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy