A Hearty and Delicious Meal You Can't Resist
In the realm of comfort food, few dishes can rival the satisfying embrace of creamy pasta. This recipe for kielbasa and macaroni and cheese is a delightful fusion of flavors and textures that promises to transport your taste buds to a world of culinary bliss. With the heartiness of kielbasa, the earthiness of spinach, and the luscious creaminess of egg noodles, each bite is a harmonious symphony of comfort. Whether you're seeking a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting meal to share with loved ones, this dish will not disappoint. Join us in the kitchen as we unravel the secrets to creating this savory masterpiece that's sure to become a beloved addition to your repertoire of home-cooked favorites.
Ingredients:
1 pound dry egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cottage cheese (full fat preferred)
1 whole onion, diced
1 pound kielbasa, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole package spinach
2-3 teaspoons spice mix
Spice Mix
spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Tools:
knife
cutting board
slotted spoon
measuring cups and spoons
stock pot with lid
colander
covered frying pan or dutch oven
Fill your stock pot up with water (or broth, if you're feeling a little like an overachiever) and bring it up to boil.
While you wait for the water in the pot to boil, grab a little dish. Measure out and stir together all the spices for the spice mix. (We recycle glass yogurt jars for spice mixes, as they're just the right size to hold a few tablespoons of dry spices and leave us some space to stir.)
Once the pot is boiling, add the egg noodles and set a timer - but whatever the package directions say is the recommended cook time, cut it down by half and add one minute. As an example, if the package says 8 minutes, cook them for only 5 minutes. We only want the noodles par-cooked so they won't fall apart later.
Peel, quarter and roughly chop your onion. Dump it all into the pan or dutch oven with the butter, but don't crank up the heat just yet.
Cut your kielbasa (or any other suitable rope sausage) into bite sized pieces, and add them to the pan with the onion. Now you're safe to turn the heat on. Let them cook together, covered, for about five minutes over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
Once the onions are translucent and the fat has rendered out of the sausage, add the spinach. Add so much spinach it looks like the lid won't stay on. Trust us here. Stick the lid on (shove it down if necessary, making sure the spinach stays inside), reduce the heat to as low as it will go, and turn your attention back to the noodles.
By now, the timer's making irritating noises and wants you to do something. Drain the noodles and put them right back into the stock pot, and measure in your sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir like crazy, then slap the lid on it. This is why we only par-cooked them - they need to hold up to vigorous stirring, and they'll soak up the moisture and steam in the covered pot.
Looking back at the onions, sausage and spinach - hey, wasn't there a lot more spinach a minute ago? - remove the lid and stir gently. Once the spinach is all uniformly wilted, feel free to cut the heat. Make sure it stays covered so it retains its warmth while you go back to working on the noodles.
Those lumpy curds from the cottage cheese should have melted down some by now. Remove the lid, stir like crazy some more, and consider adding some milk or heavy cream if you used low fat cottage cheese. (Full fat cottage cheese works much better for this recipe, but we used what we had on hand.) Your goal is a thick, sticky sauce covering egg noodles that have absorbed the excess moisture.
Add a couple teaspoons of your spice mixture and stir well one last time. Serve the noodles with or topped by the sausage and vegetable mixture.
This recipe is a testament to the joy of home-cooked comfort food, where simple ingredients come together to create something truly extraordinary. We hope it has inspired you to embrace the art of cooking and explore the endless possibilities that await in your kitchen. Reach out to us over on our Facebook page if you decided to give it a try!
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