Pasta Bake with Kielbasa and Apples

My kids love salty, processed meat.  Bologna, sausage, salami, kielbasa, pepperoni....they love it.  I know it's not the healthiest, but I think anything in moderation is okay.  When my son heard there was kielbasa in our dinner he asked, "Don't we eat that on Easter?"  Yes, we have a traditional Polish breakfast on Easter morning with my parents, including kielbasa, hard-boiled eggs, and my mom's home-made Easter bread.  But I told him that we can also eat kielbasa at other times.  Like in this dish......with apples.  I've been trying to cook with apples as much as I can.  Even though we didn't go apple picking this year they are in season and the kids love them.  So I figure they'll hopefully enjoy them cooked in various dishes too.  This is one of those comfort food type dishes perfect for a chilly fall night.  It's really easy to make and cooks for about 30 minutes with some resting time.  The kids enjoyed it a lot and you know it's rare when my son enjoys dinner! The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. hot sauce that I forgot to add to the adult bowls (I'm sure made this dish even tastier).

Pasta Bake with Kielbasa and Apples
recipe slightly adapted from Mostly Food and Crafts

Ingredients:
1 lb. box of rigatoni
2 cups of milk
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 apples  (Fuji or Braeburn) cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 ounces of Kielbasa, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile in a medium saucepan over medium heat,whisk together the milk and flour until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add half the cheese, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.

Add the sauce to the pasta along with the Kielbasa and the apples and combine. Transfer to baking dish; cover with foil.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.