Kielbasa Mac and Cheese
Nothing says hearty comfort food more than this stove top Kielbasa Mac and Cheese with a creamy beer cheese sauce, smoked sausage, and tangy sauerkraut!
I love macaroni and cheese as it’s such a simple yet very versatile meal.
Boil the pasta. Make the sauce. Put the two together with any mix ins you want and boom – dinner for two ready in 30 minutes.
If I don’t know what to make for dinner, chances are I make mac and cheese for two (assuming I have enough cheese to make it).
I always make it on the stove top because I don’t understand baked pasta.
Yes, I get that baking it gives it the crunchy bits everyone loves, but I’d rather eat my dinner now while it’s still saucy rather than wait another 30 minutes for it to bake.
What can I say? I’m impatient when I’m hungry.
When I was telling a friend about how I made Kielbasa Mac and Cheese for dinner one night, she told me it sounded very Pittsburgh of me. All that was missing was a pierogie on top like I did with my pierogy nachos.
Pittsburgh definitely has a reputation for Polish food, including but not limited to pierogies, haluski, and kielbasa.
We even have a neighborhood called Polish Hill.
We love our beer too. I’m sure all cities love their beer, but we really love it here.
It’s hard to say where the inspiration for this beer mac and cheese with kielbasa came from. One minute I’m struggling to come up with dinner.
The next minute, I’m putting kielbasa and mac and cheese together.
Throw in a little tangy sauerkraut, and you have a very Pittsburgh Oktoberfest dinner you can eat any day of the year.
Ingredients For Kielbasa Mac and Cheese
Here’s what you need to make your kielbasa and mac and cheese:
- Elbow macaroni: Elbows are the traditional shape for macaroni and cheese, but you can certainly play with other shapes such cavatappi or shells.
- Salt: Ensures both your pasta and sauce aren’t bland
- Butter: Fat needed to build your cheese sauce
- Kielbasa: It’s already fully cooked so all you have to do is slice and sauté it from some crispiness
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics to flavor your sauce
- Flour: Thickens the sauce by making a roux
- Milk: Use whole milk for maximum creaminess. You can also use half and half or heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- Beer: Ideally you’d want a pale ale, but most beers will work. Just make sure it’s something you enjoy drinking on its own so you can enjoy the flavor.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Cheddar is most traditional, but you can also use smoked gouda or a combination of both.
- Sauerkraut: It’s fermented cabbage that has a sour, tangy flavor and pairs very well with kielbasa. It’s a love or hate ingredient, so yes you can leave it out if you don’t like it.
Can you substitute the beer in your beer mac and cheese?
Even though beer is in the name, yes you can swap out the beer for a non-alcoholic version of my mac and cheese with kilebasa.
Use an equal amount of chicken broth or milk to replace the beer.
How To Make Kielbasa Mac and Cheese
Ready to make your beer macaroni and cheese? Here’s how to do it:
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
- Melt butter in large skillet then cook kielbasa, onion, and garlic.
- Whisk in flour, milk, and beer then bring to a boil.
- Cook sauce until thickened then stir in cheese and sauerkraut.
- Mix together sauce and cooked pasta.
The sauce will thicken as it cools. If it gets too thick, thin it out with more milk.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Why is my kielbasa mac and cheese grainy?
A grainy sauce is the result of melting your cheese over too high heat, causing the fat in the cheese to separate.
To prevent this, remove the skillet from the heat then stir in your cheese until melted. Do not rush it.
If your sauce does separate, you can add some warm milk (not cold) and try to smooth it back out.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
If you enjoyed this beer mac and cheese, check out my other macaroni recipes:
- Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Pesto Mac and Cheese
- French Onion Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Kielbasa Mac and Cheese
Nothing says hearty comfort food more than this stove top Kielbasa Mac and Cheese with a creamy beer cheese sauce, smoked sausage, and tangy sauerkraut!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
- Salt (preferably kosher salt)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sliced fully-cooked kielbasa
- 1/4 cup diced yellow or white onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup pale ale beer, room temperature (can substitute chicken broth or more milk for non-alcoholic recipe)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained
- Sliced green onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a big handful of salt then add the macaroni. Cook as directed on the package until al dente, about 9-11 minutes. Drain into colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Push the onion to the side and add the kielbasa in a single layer. Cook until browned, about 1-2 minutes then flip and cook until second side is browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Stir in the flour to coat and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and beer then add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
It'll thicken as it cooks more and cools, so leave it a bit thinner than you would want. - Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and sauerkraut until melted. Taste and adjust for salt if necessary. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk to thin it out.
- Once the pasta is done, mix with the sauce. Garnish with green onion.
Notes
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese, and Alfredo Mac and Cheese.
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You got me with this one, Carla. I love all the components of the dish, so putting them together would be perfect. Finally a way to use up the sauerkraut that’s been sitting in my freezer forever. And the extra kielbasa from the pizza I’m making this week. And the beer – I’ll have to choose something for that. The only beer in our fridge right now is Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11, which we can’t drink for another 6 years… (it’s intended to be cellared). Wish I were in Pittsburgh where I could get some good local beer. We don’t have any here. Boohoo!!!
Oh kielbasa pizza? That sounds intriguing! Not sure what the stores are like around you, but our one grocery store sells national craft beer brands. You can buy one of those to use. Before I moved back to Pittsburgh, I lived in the country so I would buy one bottle of beer from a bar for recipes because the beer stores only sold beer by the case.
You had me until you added the sauerkraut. Of course being a Pittsburgher and of German descent I LOVE sauerkraut but I just can’t imagine it in mac and cheese. How did it taste? I think I will try the kielbasi and mac and cheese. That sounds good. Maybe cook a little kraut on the side and try it with the mac and cheese.
See I’m totally fine mixing flavors together like that, even if most people find them not normal lol I’ve eaten hot dogs with sauerkraut and cheese sauce before (kinda like a chili cheese dog without the chili), so I was ok with it. I think it would be a great idea to cook sauerkraut on the side and try a little bit. If you don’t like it with the cheese, you can eat them separately on your plate.
Carla, our grocery store does give us the ability to buy individual bottles of some craft beers. The pizza I’m making is the Fig, Goat Cheese and Kielbasa Sausage Pizza from The Spiffy Cookie. Erin makes killer pizzas, and this one is great. However, I’d probably recommend that you caramelize the onions in something other than butter, because I’m burning the ones I’m currently trying to make.
That pizza does sound delicious! As for the butter, are you cooking the onions too high? Since caramelizing onions take 20-30 minutes, it’s important to cook them low and slow, especially on a gas stove because they cook faster than an electric stove (like mine). Sometimes if you add a little bit of oil to the butter in the beginning, it’ll help with the burning.
Yes, Carla, I was cooking it at too high a heat. Not the first time, and probably won’t be the last. I do have a gas stove, and didn’t realize that it’s worse than an electric one for doing caramelized onions. Fortunately my husband figured he could eat those onions, because he’s done the same thing himself… Pizza is baking as I write.
My parents have a gas stove while I have an electric stove. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt things on my parent’s stove because I’m not used to how efficient it is! Low on their gas stove is probably medium on mine.
Dear Carla, this is pure comfort food and right up my alley. I know my family would absolutely love this for dinner. A perfect winter meal. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
I tried this tonight and we really enjoyed it. The best beer I could find – that my husband would drink – was Alaskan Amber Ale. It worked well. I have to confess that I upped the cheese, sauerkraut and kielbasa, and I did sauté the kielbasa before adding it. Definitely a great dish for a chilly winter night. I’m sure I’ll be making it again.
I was hesitant on how much sauerkraut to add because I know people are hit or miss with it. Definitely add more if you love it :D Glad the beer and the dish overall worked out for you both!
Great recipe. The only thing I left out was the sauerkraut. – not a fan of that. Thanks for posting.
Yea, it’s quite a love or hate ingredient! Glad you enjoyed the mac.
Love ALL your dishes!Just perfect for smaller portions!
Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying them.