Cajun Mac and Cheese Recipe

Cajun Mac and Cheese Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy
Servings: 6 Servings

It is hard to imagine life without creamy, gooey, intoxicating macaroni and cheese. It's that golden, quintessential comfort food that makes us all swoon, but add Cajun seasoning and Andouille sausage to the mix, and your tastebuds will be elevated to a whole new level. Hello!

 Why mess with this perfectly dreamy comfort food, you ask? Variety is the spice of life, friends. It seems wrong to mess with perfection, we get it, but trust us, change is good every once in a while, especially if you want to spice up your meal rotation.

Our macaroni and cheese version features Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (adds a unique tang), and savory Andouille sausage, a delicious combination guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds and wow your family.

So, the next time your family hankers for Mac and Cheese, surprise them and tantalize their tastebuds with your culinary Cajun creation! This tasty dish may be their new go-to mac and cheese recipe. (It could happen;)

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this flavorful recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups Dried Macaroni

• 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour

• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter, melted

• 1 1/2 cups half and half (or milk), warmed in the microwave

• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, more If Desired

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1 pound Cheese, Grated (Use a combination of Cheddar and Monterery Jack or your favorite combintaion)

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning

• Cherchies® Cajun Cornbread Recipe (optional)

Preparations

Prepare macaroni according to package directions, and drain.  While the macaroni is cooking, in a medium skillet, cook the sliced sausage and chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat, turning occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and onions are translucent.  Add the drained Pretty Peppers. Turn the heat off and set the mixture aside.

In a small pan, combine the flour and melted butter.  This will be your roux to thicken the sauce. Cook for a few minutes on low, then slowly add the warmed milk to the roux.   Add the champagne mustard and dry mustard to the mixture, stir, and then for the best part...the CHEESE!   Add the glorious cheese to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.  I tend to use whatever cheese we have on hand, but cheddar and Monterey Jack work nicely in this dish.

Pour the cheese sauce into the skillet with the sausage and mix to combine.  Add the drained macaroni noodles and Cajun Seasoning and cook on low until warmed through.

Serve with our Cajun Cornbread Recipe and our Strawberry Spinach Salad for a complete meal!  Enjoy!

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Cook Time:

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves 6-8

You don't have to visit the "Big Easy" to appreciate Louisiana's culinary heritage and robust flavors. Étouffée means "smothered" and is a sought-after dish in Louisiana, a stew with vegetables and seafood, enveloped in flavorful seasonings, and served over rice. This tasty Shrimp Étouffée Recipe, featuring Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning Blend, is the perfect comfort food to enjoy at home. No traveling is necessary.

My hubby and I visited NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) a few years back. We fell in love with the culture, the arts, and of course, being the foodies we are, the food, especially étouffée, Cajun comfort in every bite! It made such an impression I came home and immediately worked on developing our own Cajun Seasoning so we could enjoy the flavors of Louisiana whenever the mood struck and share them with you!

This recipe, inspired by the rich roots of Louisiana, was amazingly flavorful and will become a favorite among your family and friends. Bring a taste of Cajun Country to your table and savor the soul of Louisiana with this easy, tasty dish. Your family and guests will thank you! Serve this recipe with our Cajun Cornbread Recipe and a green salad for a complete meal!

Comment below and let us know if you made this easy, flavorful dish. Thank you for visiting.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. frozen cooked shrimp, without tails and deveined (Could use raw shrimp)

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1 cup diced white onions

• 1/2 cup diced green onions

• 1 cup diced celery

• 3/4 cup diced green pepper

• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic

• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes 

• 3 cups seafood stock

• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

• 1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce

• 2 Tbsp. Cherchies Cajun Seasoning

Preparation

Chop and assemble all ingredients before you start the cooking process.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mix until smooth paste forms.  Keep stirring until lightly browned.  This is called a roux.  Add all the diced and minced ingredients to the hot roux.  Stir and cook until ingredients are softened about 5 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes and the seafood stock.  Cook and additional 5 to 6 minutes or until veggies are done to your liking.  If sauce becomes to thick, add additional seafood stock.  Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, shrimp, and Cherchies Cajun Seasoning and cook until heated through.  

Serve the etouffee over rice, or mashed potatoes.  Keep the hot sauce on the side for those who like it hotter.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Spread the Word...and the Mustard! 20 Mustard Recipes You Need to Try Right Now!

20 Mustard Recipes You Need to Try Right Now!

Mustard is not just for hot dogs anymore.  Did you know that beyond the beloved wieners and sandwiches, mustard is a very common addition to many culinary dishes?  It's used as a thickener for stews, an emulsifier for vinaigrette, a glaze or rub for meats, a dip for pretzels, chicken tenders, and so much more?  

Did you also know the first Saturday in August (8/5/17) is dedicated to honoring this prestigious condiment, believed to be over 5,000 years old? - daysoftheyear.com.  In fact, in Middleton, Wisconsin, the Mustard Museum (there is such a thing) celebrates and honors everything mustard each year on National Mustard Day!  With our very own award-winning, gourmet mustards (Champagne Mustard, Cranberry Mustard, and Hot Banana Pepper Mustard) showcased at the Mustard Museum, it seems only fitting to celebrate too. After all, mustard is what started our company back in 1978!  

Because we love mustard and because we love you, we are celebrating our favorite condiment with a sale!  Come and visit us at www.cherchies.com beginning Friday 8/4/17 for our weekend mustard sale!  In the meantime, enjoy 20 of our favorite tasty mustard recipes.

Thanks for stopping by:)

Our Favorite Mustard Recipes.  

Appetizers

• Sausage Bites with Cranberry Mustard Recipe
• Buttery Soft Philly Pretzels (that's a given, being from Philly;)
• Champagne and Apple Endive Recipe

• Sweet and Sour Spread Recipe
• Tuna Pinwheels Recipe

Breakfast

• Breakfast Sausage and Eggs Recipe
• Fruit Salad with Champagne Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

Salads/Sides

• Salmon Nicoise with Champagne Herb Vinaigrette Recipe
• Grilled Champagne Vegetables Recipe
• Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe

• Bloomin Tomato with Chicken Salad Recipe
• Champagne Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe
• Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Main Dish

• Baked Chicken Tenders with Cranberry Mustard Dipping Sauce Recipe
• Grilled Muffuletta Recipe
• Blackberry Champagne Salmon Recipe

• Champagne Blackberry Grilled Ham and Cheese Recipe
• Strawberry Hot Pepper Kabobs Recipe
• Pork Fried Rice Recipe

• Pizzazzed Burger Recipe with Hot Banana Pepper Mustard

The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe

The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe

You know you hit the appetizer jackpot when you return home from a gathering with an empty dish once graced with layers of savory taco goodness.  

This quick and easy classic layered dip has been a crowd favorite at our get-togethers and potlucks for years. Loaded with refried beans, creamy guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and cheese, it is our secret ingredients, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, that take this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary. It is no wonder why this recipe has earned the prestigious title "The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe" from our friends and family. Since it is the "best," we would be amiss not to share it with you.

Whether it is a potluck or Game Day celebration, this dip will seriously score big with your gang!  It feeds a crowd, it can be made ahead, and it will definitely become your new favorite party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. can of refried beans

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning

• 8 oz. of your favorite guacamole (We tested this recipe with Wholly Guacamole)

• 12 oz. sour cream

• 2 heaping Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend

• 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained

• 3 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce (optional)

• 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (sometimes we use a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses)

• Tortilla chips (or substitute Frito Scoops for the tortilla chips)

Preparation  

In a small bowl, soften the refried beans in a microwave for about 20 seconds.  (This process makes the beans easier to spread).  Add the Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning to the refried beans and mix.  Spread the bean mixture in a shallow baking dish (For the pretty factor, use a glass baking dish to show off the different layers).  For the next layer, spread the guacamole over the refried beans.

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and spread over the guacamole layer.  

If using lettuce (optional), sprinkle over the sour cream.  Next, sprinkle the tomatoes, followed by the cheese, green onions, and olives.  Finally, for a festive flair, sprinkle a small amount of Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend over the dip.

Refrigerate the taco dip for at least a couple of hours to overnight.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips (we used Frito Scoops this time) and watch this glorious layered dip disappear.  We dare you to try just one bite!

Or, mix things up for Halloween and create this creepy spider web. Expose the guacamole layer exposed, then add the cheese, olives, tomatoes an scallions around the edge. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips for a spooky effect and add a fake spider and you are all set for Halloween!

Enjoy!