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!

Cajun Cornbread Recipe

Cajun Cornbread Recipe

Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes                             Difficulty:  Easy

No matter how you slice it, moist, flavorful sweet cornbread is undeniably one of the best and most versatile side dishes, because, it goes with just about anything, chili, soups, casseroles, Mexican, Southern or Cajun dishes, and so much more. With so many variations of cornbread out there, this spicier version may soon become your new favorite.

Our family goes nuts over this recipe, simply because it is awesome, but with a husband, two teenagers, and a young adult, this cornbread disappears as quickly as it comes out of the oven, so I usually need to make a double batch.  

This time, I wanted to create a Cajun version, so I snuck in our NEW Cajun Seasoning and our Pretty Hot Peppers, sweet green peppers with a little kick, a sure no-no for our middle child, Nicholas, who usually runs for the hills at the mention of peppers.  

So why would I even tamper with my family's precious cornbread recipe? That is what I do, I experiment and challenge my family's palate and watch their faces contort as I serve them something new (which is quite often). I find it quite humorous, but I am confident in most situations that my family will enjoy my creations.  When I was their age, I would never have been that accepting as a teenager, but our kiddos politely abide by the "One-Bite Rule" we have in our family.  They don't have to like what I make, but they have to at least try it!  Luckily, this recipe was a success. They liked the subtle spicier version almost as much as the original version, and it too was gobbled up. 

So, if you are looking to spice things up, this version of my family's favorite cornbread recipe is perfect for even the most discerning family members. It complements most dishes and will soon become your favorite cornbread as well.  Serve this cornbread with our Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Pork Recipe and our Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe for a complete meal.

Thank you for stopping by!

*Note-This recipe was adapted from Indian Head Brand Cornmeal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of yellow corn meal (we used Indian Head Stone Ground Yellow Cornmeal).  
• 1 cup all purpose flour (to make it gluten free, substitute your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons (tsp.) baking powder
• 1-2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 jar of Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers, drained

Preparaton

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and Cherchies Cajun Seasoning.  In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs and add the oil and milk.  Mix.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and add the Cherchies Pretty Hot Peppers.  Mix to combine.

 Pour the cornbread mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish. and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Cajun Cornbread Recipe

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

This tasty, tangy, colorful Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect side dish to bring to your next party or potluck.

I love making this easy, flavorful, refreshing salad, especially in the summer. It is the perfect excuse to take full advantage of summer's bounty without spending much time in the kitchen. Your family or guests will devour this dish, as it has garden fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy champagne honey lemon vinaigrette (featuring Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard), bringing this dish from great to extraordinary. To make this pasta salad heartier, add some leftover protein, like chicken or shrimp, for an easy, refreshing summer meal. This recipe is best made the day before the event, as the flavors intensify, but making it the day of, earlier in the day, would be perfectly fine.

So grab some vegetables from your garden or your favorite farmer’s market, and make this delightful Greek pasta salad today. You will not be disappointed.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe. Thank you for visiting. Come back and revisit us for more delicious recipes, cooking tips, and entertaining ideas.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta

• 1 cup coarsely chopped seedless cucumbers

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (can use cherry tomatoes cut in half if you'd prefer)

• 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

• 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

• Champagne Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (below)

• Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for champagne honey vinaigrette

• 1 Lemon, (zest, and juice)

• 1/2 tsp thyme

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 Salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup Olive oil

• 1/4 cup White wine vinegar

Preparation

Chop the onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place them in a large bowl.  Season with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside. Whisk all ingredients of vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  Drain Pasta.  

Add the drained orzo to the salad.  Then add Cherchies® Pretty Peppers and lightly season with pepper. Right before serving, add the vinaigrette.

Next add the Feta cheese and mix to combine.  Add more dressing to taste.  Serve immediately. (*The flavors intensify if made a day ahead).

Tangy, refreshing Lemon Greek Salad.  Enjoy!

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

The Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe

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Cook Time: About 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

There's just something to be said about garlic bread...the smell, the crunch, the taste...the comfort.  It is perfect for sopping up sauces, soups or serving as a side to any dish.  This garlic bread recipe is a winner, hands down and is definitely deserving of the title, Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe!

What is the secret ingredient in our Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe? It is Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend, one of our oldest, most requested seasoning blends since 1980, and my all-purpose seasoning for most of my dishes, especially Garlic Bread!  Here is what our friends from across the country have said about Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning...

"I have been in love with this seasoning since 2012. I discovered the garlic Seasoning at the Pecan Store in Alabama. Other than eggs, I only use this seasoning with pepper... It makes beans, vegetables, and soups delicious. There is no greater garlic combination of flavoring".  LaRonda from Missouri

"My sister in law & I were " turned on" to this spice about 22 years ago...we use it in a ton of our cooking. It always must be in our kitchen and when company pops in - it is our dip of choice. It goes on meat, potatoes & veggies". LOVE CHERCHIES. Marianne from Connecticut

Awww, we love you too!  Thank you!

This recipe is super easy!  For this recipe, I used Ciabatta rolls in lieu of Italian bread because I love the nooks and crannies and wanted to experiment.  I often change the bread, sometimes I substitute the butter for Olive oil, and sometimes depending on my mood may add cheese to the garlic bread, but I always use Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, a staple in our kitchen and one that should be in yours too.  

Try it and let us know what you think!  Thank you for stopping by:)

Ingredients 

• 1 Ciabatta rolls, sliced in half (feel free to use your favorite Italian bread or baguette)
• Room-temperature butter (about 1 1/2 Tbsp. per slice, but who's measuring, go on and slather)
• Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend or try our Cherchies® No-Salt Garlic'n Herbs Seasoning Blend

Preparation  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the rolls or bread in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet. Spread butter over the bread and sprinkle with a generous amount of Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning (maybe 1 Tablespoon or so, once again not measuring).  I would evenly coat the bread with a light dusting of Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning.  You can always add more when you go to taste the garlic bread.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until bread is lightly golden brown.  You want that nice crunch when you first bite into the garlic bread as well as the soft buttery garlicky bread inside.  Remove the tray from the oven and cut the rolls in half or the bread into 2-inch slices and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

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The Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe