Dirty DC Half-Smoke Mac and Cheese

Yes, this is as awesome as it sounds. When your'e  in Washington D.C., and you go to a place like Ben's Chili Bowl, or any vendor on the street, you're not going to order a hotdog, you're going to get a half-smoke.  Sure, you can get a hot dog, but what's the point?  It's just not D.C.  You remember the old saying about "When in Rome..." right?  A half-smoke, for the un-initiated is a half beef, half pork smoked sausage that you can get anywhere in the city, and it's a specialty of world famous Ben's Chili Bowl in the city.  I got the idea for this dish from what we used to call "Ghetto 'Sketti" during my time as a banquet chef.  It was usually left over hot dogs, pasta, and cheese whiz from kid's menu banquets (Oh like you never stole some from the kids table) - I just simply replaced the hot dog with something much better.  This recipe will make about 1 serving for me, 4-6 for the normal human.

1/2 lb uncooked weight pasta of your choice (I used Gemelli for this recipe) cooked and cooled

Yeah...nothing to say here, just look...

1/4 c. Cheez Whiz (don't cringe, it's a Philly classic)
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 c. minced red onion
1 whole tomato, large diced, seeds rinsed
1 tsp. flour
1 tbsp whole butter
4 oz. GOOD American cheese (like the deli counter stuff, NOT the singles), cubed
1/2 sliced half smokes (if you can't find them use the Hillshire Farms smoked sausages, they're close enough)
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. First things first, let's get the butter in a heavy bottom sauce pot, and preheat our oven to 350.  Let that butter melt a bit on high heat and add your sausages.  Cook these for  a minute of two, then add the Cajun seasoning, onions, and tomatoes.  Cook these down until the onions are translucent; if you need to add more butter, feel free, sometimes the Cajun seasoning can soak it up. We want just a little greasy goodness in the pot.

2.  When the onions are translucent, scoop out everything that's in the pot and pour out on a plate . Leave all of the grease/butter in the pot.  Add your flour and cook it, stirring constantly for about a minute.

3.  Now add your milk.  This is going to need to cook out for just a couple of minutes and get thick.  After about 5 minutes of simmering and stirring, add the American cheese and the Cheez Whiz.  Stir or whisk this until they melt.

4.  Now it gets good.  Add your sausage and veggies back to the pot, thenyou’re your pasta and mix evenly.  Transfer all of this to an oven safe dish and top with the shredded cheddar.

5.  Pop the whole thing in the oven until the cheddar melts, then serve. 

There's not much else to say about this.  It's simple and delicious.  As always feel free to experiment with other cheeses.  I know for a fact Blue Cheese, Gouda, and Mozzarella will really kick this off too. Dont' be afraid to try out other sausages and meats too.  Kielbasa, Andouille, and Tasso Ham all will work for this recipe too.

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor