Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

I just finished reading a book that takes place in post-zombie-apocalypse society. In the book, any living creature over 40 pounds is subject to zombification. (I promise, I have a food-related point, stick with me.) In one part of the book, the main character eats soy bacon. In another, he eats soy sausage. And you guys, I don’t know if I’ve ever been more thankful to live in a world where zombies don’t exist*, because I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able to eat pork. No bacon? No sausage? Oh my goodness...Feed me to the living dead!

But since we’re talking about the real world, I’m thankful to have available to me the perfection that is spicy sausage. One day I was randomly thinking about food (which I do a lot), and thought about how delicious spicy sausage would be in mac and cheese. And since I love the flavor combination of sausage and tomatoes, I decided I’d add some of those in there too. The result was creamy, cheesy, spicy perfection.

I chose to leave the flavoring of this mac and cheese pretty simple, but you could jazz it up lots of different ways. Add cumin and chili powder to give it a Mexican spin, or garlic and Italian seasoning to make it taste more Italian in nature. The possibilities are limitless, and when you’re starting with a base as delicious as this mac and cheese, there’s no way you can go wrong.

Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound macaroni or other short pasta
1 pound spicy sausage
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

3. Heat cream cheese and milk in a medium saucepan until smooth and slightly thickened. Season with ground mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

4. Combine pasta, sausage, cherry tomatoes, and cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

*yet...