Creamy White Mac & Cheese With Apples and Kielbasa

For the topping:
Melt;Add:
1/2 stick butter
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

For the macaroni and cheese:
Cook; Reserve:
1/2 lb. dry elbow macaroni
1 c. pasta water
Melt; Whisk In; Stir In:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3/4 c. whole milk
3/4 c. heavy cream
pinch of nutmeg
2 c. white cheddar, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese

For sauteed kielbasa and apples:
Brown in 1 T. olive oil:
1 lb. kielbasa, cut into 1" pieces
Saute in 2 T. butter; Add:
2 c. granny smith apples, cored and sliced
2 T. sugar
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Rub inside of 2 qt. baking dish with softened butter. Bring large pot of salted water to boil for macaroni.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 c. pasta water.
Melt 1/2 stick butter for the topping in a non stick skillet. Add crackers and cook until lightly browned.
Melt 2 T. butter in a small saucepan.
Whisk in flour, cook 1 min. then gradually whisk in milk, cream and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then add cheeses, stirring until melted. If sauce seems to thick, add reserved pasta water to thin sauce.
Toss sauce with macaroni.
Coat buttered baking dish with a dusting of crumb topping. Top macaroni mixture with remaining crumbs and bake 20 min.

For the kielbasa:
Brown kielbasa in oil in nonstick skillet about 5 min. Transfer to a plate. Return pan to burner.
Saute apple slices in butter in the same pan until softened, 2-3 min. Add remaining ingredients and cook just until sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss to combine.

Makes 4-6 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
First off when I made this I couldn't find white cheddar so I just used extra sharp cheddar. It worked good. This is yummy. Salty cracker goodness with noodles and cheese underneath. It is a yummy combo. When you add the kielbasa and apples to the mix it is like a little slice of heaven.