Creamy Mac & Cheese with Chicken Apple Sausage

~As much as I’d like my kids to be food connoisseurs, I can’t keep them from coveting certain items in their schoolmates’ lunches. However, what I can do, is give them a homemade, more natural version of the dreaded blue box. And all it takes is a simple ingredients, which are probably already in your fridge. This is a slightly mature version of a polka dot mac & cheese; still very kid-friendly.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp sweet butter

2 tbsp flour or tapioca starch

1 cup whole milk

3 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar

3 pre-cooked chicken apple sausage- sliced

2 cups uncooked pasta

1 tsp sea salt

nutmeg

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium pot of boiling water, add sea salt and cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside. Do not rinse.
2. Rinse pot and wipe off excess water. Set on low heat. Slowly melt butter and whisk in flour. Once blended, keep whisking and let the flour cook for about 1min.
3. Slowly dribble and whisk in milk to prevent clumping.
4. Whisk about half a cup of cheese at a time. Repeat and slowly keep whisking until all of cheese is thoroughly blended in.
5. Grate in a little bit of nutmeg. Taste and add more if desired.
6. Add sausage pieces and cover to let the sausage warm for about 2min.
7. Keep pot on the burner but turn off heat. Pour pasta into cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
8. Garnish each serving with fresh ground pepper and serve immediately.