• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Boulder Locavore®

Easy Flavorful Recipes for Everyday

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Free Bonus
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken-Apple Sausage and Bacon

    LAST UPDATED: May 22, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: April 27, 2011 By Toni Dash 20 Comments

    Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken-Apple Sausage and Bacon

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

     
    Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken Apple Sausage and Bacon

    I just saw a piece in the Huffington Post about the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. Having a family lineage that weaves in and out of that geography, I’m charmed by the holiday traditions held in our nation’s capital.

    But what I found most intriguing was not the awkward mascot-like Easter Bunny being aptly guided by his seeing-eye human but that the Obamas were in short sleeves. Sleeveless actually for Michelle if I recall. I was dumbfounded.

    I was in disbelief, mesmerized photo after photo, sure there must be a heat lamp just outside of the camera’s frame for surely it could not be that warm anywhere in the U.S. right now. Not a goosebump to be had on their spring-exposed flesh.

    By stark contrast I’ve been maintaining my winter togs with no hint of warmth in sight. I volunteer for a local school that is setting up a Garden-to-Table program. My garden partner and I are in charge of some hoop houses that envelope delicate lettuce starters planted by wee tots, stars in their eyes about consuming them in the form of salad before the year’s end.

    Last Friday we discussed the horribly windy weather, the proposed overnight temperature forecast of 31 degrees and I aptly convinced her all would be fine, we did not need to roll the plastic down to tuck our babies in the for the night.

    small lettuce plants

    I sadly awoke at 7 a.m. Saturday to find snow. Like the adrenaline rush that comes with oversleeping and waking just as your first morning work meeting is suppose to start, I bolted out of bed, threw on anything I could find to zoom to the school and save the tender lettuce.

    I’d love to tell you it was exclusively my gardener’s heart that was the driver for my unbridled sprint, but sprinkled in there was the nightmare potential of 50 kids looking at me for explanation of why the Easter Bunny ate their lettuce over the weekend.

    Fortunately everything turned out well for the lettuce however now with Easter treats behind us I have as much interest in spring food with our current weather as I do wearing hot pants and white vinyl Go Go boots while dancing on a busy street corner. Instead I made homemade Mac and Cheese with a twist.

    For whatever reason the idea of making macaroni and cheese from scratch never really crossed my mind until last year. Perhaps it was being raised on the boxed stuff with day-glow orange cheese powder.

    Chicken Apple Sausages

    It struck me once when buying microwaveable Mac and Cheese (organic, gluten free, good tasting, microwaveable mind you) both that it was expensive and that the packaging is not recyclable (nothing  from the freezer section is recyclable due to being treated so it does not fall apart under the frozen conditions). Thus was the birth of me making my own Macaroni and Cheese from scratch.

    It is ridiculously simple and ripe with creative options. I made the basic recipe with a change to the cheese, adding some bacon and chicken apple sausage. The texture is creamy and the flavors wonderfully cheesy, with some salt from the bacon and sweetness from the sausage; all this without being over the top fatty or rich. A perfect one casserole meal which I served with fresh, local organic rainbow chard sautéed in a bit of garlic. Yum.

    MACARONI AND CHEESE with CHICKEN-APPLE SAUSAGE and BACON

    Creamy mac and cheese with sweet chicken apple sausage and salty bacon is always a favorite!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 6-8
    Calories: 296kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 package elbow pasta I use Tinkyada Brown Rice Elbow pasta which is gluten free
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons flour you can use gluten or gluten free flour
    • 2 cups milk
    • 8 ounces mild cheddar cheese cubed
    • 3 slices bacon
    • 12 ounce package  pre-cooked skinless chicken apple sausage 4 sausages
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a large casserole with butter and set aside.
    • Boil water and prepare pasta to package instructions.
      boiled elbow pasta in colander
    • In a skillet brown the bacon so it is slightly done but not crispy or hard.  Drain well on paper towels.  Cut off any large pieces of fat from ends and discard.  Chop the bacon into small pieces (about 1/8 inch square).  Set aside.
      chopped cooked bacon
    • Chop sausages into ¼ inch square pieces.  Set aside.  I wanted mine to be somewhat rustic, not perfect square pieces.
      chopped chicken apple sausages
    • While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.  
      melted butter in pot
    • Whisk in the flour, as well as salt and pepper to taste (you can add more later as well). Basically you are making a roux*. 
      adding flour to melted butter
    • When it is well combined, slowly pour in the milk whisking the whole time to avoid burning the mixture. 
      pour milk into a roux
    • Continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken noticeably (5-10 minutes).
      whisking in flour to melted butter
    • Add cubed cheese to butter/flour/milk mixture.  
      adding cubed cheese to sauce
    • Continue to stir until the cheese is fully melted.
      stirring cheese sauce
    • When pasta is cooked, rinse, drain well and return to the cooking pot.  
    • Pour in the cheese sauce, chopped bacon and chopped sausage; stir well to fully combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed. 
      finished mac and cheese with sausage and bacon
    • Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the macaroni develops a nice, brown crust on the top.
    • When done, remove from oven to cool slightly and serve.

    Notes

    *a roux (pronounced ‘roo’) is a mixture of flour and butter which is the base of many sauces and a thickener.
    VARIATIONS:
    • Use extra sharp cheese and add a bit of Dijon mustard
    • Use sharp cheddar mixed with a little bit of Monterey Jack cheese and add chopped Anaheim chilies (canned or fresh if available)
    • Experiment with cheese blends.  Gruyere cheese is very good in this dish.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 0.8mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
     
    « Great Salad Dressing recipes and Perfect Spring Gift Idea!
    Caramel Apple Ice Cream, Caramel Apple Martini and Shot »

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

    Free Email Course

    5 FAST & EASY 15-MINUTE RECIPES
    Spending too much time in the kitchen?
    These recipes are fast, easy, and perfect for every occasion.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. MARARIA says

      May 06, 2011 at 5:41 pm

      Yesssss, chorizo… even with with butifarra, a special spicy sausage!
      Thanks for the idea Jennifer!

      Reply
    2. Rachel @ Bakerita says

      April 29, 2011 at 7:55 am

      I love the addition of the chicken-apple sausage! I'll definitely have to try that next time I make mac and cheese!

      Reply
    3. BigFatBaker says

      April 28, 2011 at 6:28 pm

      This sounds great. I am a big fan of chicken apple sausage, but the bf has a hard time with it. I think if it use it in your delicious macaroni he won't even be able to tell it's not normal sausage! I can't wait to try it. 🙂

      Reply
    4. Susan Lindquist says

      April 28, 2011 at 9:12 pm

      Like I have always said … there's room in the world for a honkin' cookbook with nothing but mac&cheese recipes in it!

      Total yum!

      Reply
    5. Quay Po Cooks says

      April 28, 2011 at 2:02 pm

      I don't think I have seen any chicken and apple sausage before but this sounds like a delicious combo.

      Reply
    6. Julia @ DimpleArts says

      April 28, 2011 at 5:37 am

      Love Mac and cheese! This sounds like a great recipe!

      Reply
    7. Christine's Pantry says

      April 27, 2011 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Adding that flavorful sausage took it to another level. Sounds great!

      May I have some? 🙂

      Reply
    8. rosemarried says

      April 27, 2011 at 8:35 pm

      Mmm, adding bacon into mac and cheese is one of my favorite things. Come to think of it, mac and cheese is one of my favorite things! Thanks for posting, this looks WONDERFUL.

      Reply
    9. Lizzy says

      April 27, 2011 at 2:10 pm

      Oh, my, Toni…you've just taken mac and cheese up to a whole new level. Your version sounds incredible!

      Reply
    10. Lea Ann says

      April 27, 2011 at 11:47 am

      Dancing on a corner with hot pants and white go-go boots? LOL. I'll probably think of that every time I see you. I have to admit, that boxed stuff is really really good, but bears no resemblence to home made. I love this recipe, sounds mouth watering. Snow this morning in Highlands Ranch….humph.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    About Toni Dash

    Toni Dash BoulderLocavore.com Head Shot

    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

    Search Boulder Locavore

    AS FEATURED ON….

    BoulderLocavore.com Featured By Press

    Easy Dinners

    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs with lime wedges on a pewter platter Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs
    • Korean BBQ Chicken title image Easy Korean BBQ Chicken recipe
    • Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket title image Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket: an Easy One Pot Meal
    • Shrimp Salad title image Shrimp Salad Recipe
    • Green Chile Stew title image Hearty New Mexican Green Chile Pork Stew

    TRENDING RIGHT NOW

    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast title How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast Recipe
    • Korean BBQ Chicken title image Easy Korean BBQ Chicken recipe
    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • cilantro lime rice title image Easy Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
    • ALL BUTTER PIE CRUST Perfect All Butter Pie Crust – An Easy Guide for Success Every Time

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!

    Don't miss our TRAVEL SECTION!


    Copyright © 2010-2023 All Rights Reserved

    Boulder Locavore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.