Skillet Mac & Cheese With Sausage

Yum! You might want to add this to your list of comfort foods. This is creamy, cheesy and meaty- and the bread crumb topping is sooo good.

Skillet Mac & Cheese With Sausage- serves 6-8

1 (13.5 ounce) package Johnsonville Italian Sauasage
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 3/4 cups water
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
3 cups elbow macaroni (or favorite small pasta)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (7-9 minutes). Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and cut in 1/4 inch slices. Add bread crumbs (dash with salt and pepper) to now empty skillet and cook stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.

Bring water, 1 1/4 cups of evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt to simmer in now empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until al dente, 8-10 minutes.

Whisk remaining 1/4 cup evaporated milk, cayenne pepper and cornstarch together in a bowl, then stir into pasta. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in cheddar and sausage. Sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Serve.


I took a few pictures of the cooking process, using my new, shorter camera lens. I still need to work with it a bit more, since the aperture is a bit off in these photos. But, I do enjoy not having to stand across the room to take a picture of what's cokking on my stove! :)

Here are the little piggies, cooking away!

Then I sauteed the bread crumbs. Loved those!

This is what the macaroni looked like before I added the cheese and sausage. * I ended up adding about 1 cup of milk to make it really creamy.

Now that's a full skillet- full of yummy dinner.