Sausage and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

This is a quick meal that only dirties one pot and a colander (if you follow my tips), which is my kind of cooking.  My husband and I have always had a system where I cook and he cleans up, but I still try to make his clean-up as easy as I can, so meals like this are great for both of us!  I serve this in a bowl with a piece of garlic bread cut in half on the side.  A side salad also goes well with this dinner to get in extra veggies.

1 pound dry pasta, shape can be your own preference

1 package links/1 ring of your favorite smoked/Polish sausage, (12oz-16oz), diced or sliced as preferred

1 steamable bag of broccoli (I prefer broccoli crowns)

1 16 oz. bag shredded mozzarella and cheddar blend cheese 

4 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. butter

4 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

Salt and Pepper  (amount is personal taste preference)

Fill a large (5-6 quart) pot 2/3 full with water, add salt, and bring to boil.  Add pasta and boil to desired doneness.  Dump into a large colander to drain.  In the same pot, add 1 tsp. butter and diced/sliced sausage.  Sauté until browned on edges.  Dump contents of the pot on top of the pasta in the colander.  

Put steamable broccoli package into microwave and start it up at this time.

In the same pot, add 4 Tbsp. butter, 4 Tbsp. flour, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking until a smooth paste forms.  Be careful not to burn the butter.  Pour in 2 cups milk and continue to whisk together as the milk heats up and begins to boil.  When the sauce thickens, turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the shredded cheese.  Stir gently until all cheese is mixed in and melted into a creamy cheese sauce.  

Carefully dump the contents of the colander and the bag of broccoli into the pot of cheese.  Stir together and heat an additional 5-10 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, then serve.