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Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese with Apple Cider

4.87 from 15 votes

Posted by Dan from Platter Talk

Updated Nov 21, 2020

Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese with Apple Cider is the ultimate fall dish.  Fresh sage, apples, apple cider, and hearty cheese all combine for a savory dish that is the kiss of all things fall.

Once in a while, I run across a recipe that I can’t get out of my mind. When I first ran across this dish from Saveur magazine, it immediately caught my eye. Rigatoni Mac and cheese is a favorite in our family of six boys. In fact, it is in all probability the thing they agree on most in this world.

What’s in it?

This Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese is the ultimate autumn comfort food dish. It’s like fall in an easy-to-make casserole dish, featuring these savory ingredients:

• 2 types of cheddar cheese, mild and extra sharp
• Pork sausage
• Apples
• Fresh sage
• Apple Cider

We used Granny Smith apples in the hopes of their tartness balancing the sweet and savory cider and other ingredients. We weren’t disappointed in the results!

This Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese is a snap to put together, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

What really got my attention was the apple cider in this Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese. It’s the perfect complement to everything else and makes use of one of the greatest gifts of the fall season.

You can put this entire recipe for Apple & Sausage Mac ‘n Cheese together, start to finish, in about an hour’s time.

I mentioned before that our family, our boys in particular, our huge fans of mac and cheese. This recipe for Apple & Sausage Mac and Cheese did not let me down, to this regard. Our whole family loves this fall version of an American classic. In fact, before table was clear there were boys asking me, “Dad, when can we have this again?” My response, “Soon, boys, very soon.”

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Sausage Macaroni and Cheese with Apple Cider

4.87 from 15 votes

Inspired by Saveur

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Yield: 8 servings

By: Dan from Platter Talk

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, coarse dice
• ▢ 1 lb . bulk pork sausage
• ▢ 5-6 leaves of fresh sage, minced
• ▢ 3-4 inch apples, cored and cut into 1 pieces
• ▢ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup apple cider
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups milk
• ▢ 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded, 8 oz.
• ▢ 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 8 oz.
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 lb . elbow macaroni or shells of your choosing.

Instructions 

• Pre-heat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high; add onion and saute 2 minutes. Add the sausage and brown, using a wooden spoon to chop up and brown, about 10-12 minutes. Next, add apple and sage then cook about 5 more minute; add flour and then cook 2 more minutes. Add the cider and cook another 2 minutes, then add milk. Cook and stir occasionally, until thickened for about 8-10 minutes. Fold in half of the cheese, salt, and pepper making sure cheese completely melted.
• Prepare pasta as directed, using large pot of boiling water. Drain pasta, then return to large pot and stir in cheese mixture. Spread the pasta in a greased 9 x 13″ casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
• Bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 611mg, Potassium: 451mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 624IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 314mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Fall

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