By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 9, 2026
Serves 4
1041 cal · 35 min
Smoked Sausage Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe GLPRe15cdfe67696ba
A hearty baked macaroni and cheese featuring smoked sausage chunks and a rich, creamy cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack. Topped with buttered bread crumbs and baked until golden, this comforting casserole is perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Ingredients
8 ounces elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon powdered mustard
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ cups whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 teaspoons Honey Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon table salt, or to taste
8 ounces smoked sausage, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn
Cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, drain well, and set aside.
Tear the white bread slices into small pieces and process in a blender with 1 tablespoon of the butter until bread crumbs form. Set aside.
In a large heavy pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and powdered mustard, cooking and stirring until the onion begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste, creating a roux.
Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until completely melted and smooth. Add the Honey Dijon mustard and salt, stirring to combine.
Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until well coated. Gently fold in the smoked sausage pieces.
Lightly spray an 8×8-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
Top the casserole with the buttered bread crumb mixture, spreading it in an even layer.
Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes until the casserole is heated through and the bread crumb topping is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving hot.
Comments
This is a solid weeknight dish with no availability problems at any Charlotte chain—elbow pasta, butter, onion, both cheeses, smoked sausage, and milk are universals, and the bread topping (likely panko or regular, both widely stocked) is cheap. Cost per serving lands around $2.50-$3.00, driven mainly by the two cheeses and sausage, which is fair for a complete entrée. The stated 35 minutes is honest if you're chopping onion and shredding cheese beforehand; if not, add 10 minutes for prep. It reheats well in the oven and feeds four adequately as a one-pot family meal with minimal fussing once the cheese sauce is made. The only real weakness is that it's not particularly North Carolina—mustard powder and Monterey Jack don't anchor to local character the way collards or local cheddar would—and it's a heavier, less seasonally flexible dish than what works best in spring or summer.
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