Eddie Jackson's Dressed Up Mac & Cheese

This Dressed Up Mac & Cheese has been a Thanksgiving menu staple in my family for years now. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while now, you know that Thanksgiving is huge around here and once my Mom puts an item on the menu – it stays.

I watched the delicious Eddie Jackson make this on Food Network one year during the holiday season and I knew immediately that I had to make it. Savory Thanksgiving dressing topped with decadent, rich mac and cheese? Put a fork in me!

This whole dish a labor of love, but it kills two birds with one stone: stuffing and mac & cheese. Might as well give it a try right? And being in a springform pan, it looks super impressive.

I will note that I usually just use regular sausage in the dressing instead of andouille sausage. If I can find ground sausage with sage, that’s what I go with.

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Eddie Jackson’s Dressed Up Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

For the Mac:

16 oz large elbow macaroni

3 T. unsalted butter

3 T. flor

2 C. milk + up to ½ C. more if needed

2 tsp. chicken soup base/chicken bouillon

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

2 C. shredded Colby-Jack cheese

4 oz. cream cheese

2 C. shredded sharp Cheddar

For the Dressing:

1 cup milk 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted 2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup turbinado sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder Kosher salt Canola oil, for coating the pan 12 ounces andouille sausage, finely diced 1 white onion, finely diced 1 green bell pepper, finely diced 1 stalk celery, finely diced 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 1/4 teaspoons ground sage 1 teaspoon powdered chicken soup base/chicken bouillon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a baking dish..

2. To make the cornbread, add the milk, butter and 1 of the eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt and stir to combine; the batter should look lumpy. Transfer the batter to the sprayed baking dish and bake until golden brown on top, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool. Keep the oven at 400.

3. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 9-inch springform pans with cooking spray.

4. Put a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. To the same pan, add the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic and cook until the veggies are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Crumble the cooled cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked veggies and sausage and mix together gently. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl. Add it to the cornbread mixture with the sage, soup base or bouillon, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; mix together gently. Add the broth 1/4 cup at a time until the dressing reaches the desired consistency. It should be loose but not runny; 3/4 to 1 cup will be plenty.

6. Transfer the dressing to the prepared springform pans. Bake until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

8. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, whisk until a paste is formed and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the milk at a time, whisking constantly, until you've added 2 cups. Whisk in the soup base or bouillon, garlic powder and pepper.

9. Slowly add the Colby-Jack cheese, cream cheese and 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, making sure the cheese melts between each addition. When the cheese is completely melted, check for consistency; add up to an additional 1/2 cup milk if needed. Stir to completely combine.

10. In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained macaroni and 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Transfer the macaroni mixture to the chilled springform pan of dressing, spreading and packing the contents evenly. Spread 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce over the top with the remaining 1 cup shredded Cheddar.

11. Bake until heated through, about 30-35 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 to 7 minutes until the top starts bubbling and crisping. Let stand for 20+ minutes before removing the springform rim.