German-Style Macaroni & Cheese

To most Americans, macaroni and cheese is elbow pasta and cheddar. This German-style variation features Swiss cheese, sausage and spicy mustard.

• 8 oz. Elbow Macaroni, rotelle, small seashell-shaped, or bow-tie pasta
• Boiling salted water
• 4 T butter or margarine
• About ¾ lb.  garlic sausages or keilbasa (Polish sausage), thinly sliced.
• 2 Large Onions
• ¾ C All-purpose Flour
• 2 C Milk
• 4 T Prepared German-style Mustard, or other spicy mustard
• ½ t Caraway seeds
• ¼ t White Pepper
• Salt
• 3 C (12oz.) Swiss Cheese, shredded

 Following package instructions, cook macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente; drain thoroughly.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook, stirring, until browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in pan. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, caraway seeds, white pepper, and drained macaroni; stir until well mixed. Season to taste with salt.

Pour half the macaroni mixture into a buttered shallow 2 ½-qt baking dish. Evenly distribute half of the sausage, then half the cheese over macaroni. Layer on remaining macaroni mixture, then sausage, and then cheese. (At this point, you may let cool, then cover and refrigerate until next day).

Bake, uncovered, in a 400° oven until cheese is bubbly and center of casserole is hot (about 25 minutes; about 35 minutes if refrigerated). Makes 4 to 6 main-dish servings.