Sausage and Gorgonzola Mac 'n' Cheese

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I was so happy to learn that people around the world are starting to celebrate Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is technically a "new world" holiday, celebrating the feast between some of the first settlers of the Americas and the native American indians, the idea behind the holiday is something that everyone can get behind.

In essence, Thanksgiving is about taking a moment to think about all the great things in your life. In the United States, we take the fourth Thursday of the month of November to give thanks for all of the positives. We give thanks for family and health, new successes and old friends, sunny weather and juicy turkey. Well, those last few things might just be what I like to throw in there at the end, I really like sunny weather!

Whether you are here in the United States with me, or celebrating somewhere else around the world, Happy Thanksgiving to you. I hope that you have lots to celebrate this year, I know that I do.

Sausage and gorgonzola mac'n'cheese

A Wilde Original

One Year Ago: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

As I said on Tuesday, I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year! I thought that you might be ready for something a little different after all of the many Thanksgiving recipes this month. With the weather turning colder, I decided to make boyfriend and I a little comfort food. Nothing says "Let's curl up in bed and not move for the next three months" like macaroni and cheese. The addition of gorgonzola cheese gives this dish a good bite. I had trouble prying the leftovers out of boyfriends hands.

1 package chicken sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk (or whatever milk you have around)
1 1/2 cup grated extra sharp cheddar
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat an 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the cooking water and return pasta to the pot.

Heat a skillet over medium-high and add some olive oil. Cook chicken sausage until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Add to the pasta in the big pot.

Place 1 tbsp of each cheese in a small bowl and combine with panko bread crumbs.

In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat and add flour. Whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly stream in milk, whisking the entire time. Continue to whisk for 5-6 minutes, or until thickened. Add cheeses and stir until smooth. Add to the pasta and sausage, stir to combine. Pour this into the prepared pan and top with cheese and breadcrumb mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Chow down! Enjoy the drunchy edge pieces.