Macaroni Cheese
Macaroni cheese is one of my favourite comfort foods. Now featuring on many restaurant menus, this gooey, cheesy nursery meal remains as popular as ever. Although macaroni is the traditional pasta of choice, you could mix things up by using pretty much any pasta shapes you fancy. My kids like to use several different pastas all at once! I serve this meal with peas and grilled sausages or bacon, but it works just as well with garlic bread or salad for a vegetarian version.
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The Art of Macaroni Cheese
I truly believe that being able to make a proper cheese sauce is an important life skill. It might take a little bit of practise, but it’s worth it. I’ve tried to make this recipe as easy to follow as possible, so you won’t have any mishaps. It’s important to remember to add the milk gradually, stirring well after each addition, and to take it off the heat for a couple of minutes before adding the cheese. If the cheese goes in too soon, the sauce will be grainy, and there’s no saving it at that point. I learnt that lesson the hard way. And once you’ve mastered the cheese sauce art, teach it to your children. They’ll thank you for it one day.
Top Tip: A good cheese grater makes all the difference when you’ve got a lot of cheese to grate! This hexagonal cheese grater is one of the best I’ve used, and is particularly useful when making Macaroni Cheese.
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Fackelmann Universal Grater, 6 Sided, Stainless Steel, 11.5x13x21.5cm, Silver
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Macaroni Cheese
Course: MainCuisine: Italian6
servings10
minutes40
minutes50
minutesGooey and cheesy, this classic retro meal is perfect when you just want some comfort food.
Ingredients (allergens in bold)
340 g dried macaroni
100 g salted butter
100 g plain flour
1350 ml milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
salt and pepper
340 g Cheddar
1 tomato, sliced
sausages/bacon/garlic bread/salad, to serve
Directions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil with the lid on. Add the macaroni, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain well.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour, and stir for 1 minute. This creates a roux.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add a small amount of milk to the roux, stirring until absorbed and smooth. Keep adding milk gradually, stirring constantly, until all the milk has been added. Bring to the boil, still stirring, and cook until thickened.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and the wholegrain mustard. Stir through. Remember that mustard and cheese are both salty, so don’t add too much salt.
- Remove from the heat for a couple of minutes before adding ⅔ of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Adding the cheese when the sauce is very hot will result in a grainy texture, which you don’t want.
- Pre-heat the grill to hot.
- Add the cheese sauce to the drained macaroni, and stir until combined.
- Pour the macaroni cheese into a serving dish. Top with the remaining cheese and sliced tomato. Alternatively, if your saucepan/casserole is able to go under the grill, leave the macaroni cheese in this, and top with the remaining cheese and sliced tomato. This will save on washing-up.
- Place under the hot grill until the cheese on top is brown and bubbling.
- If serving with grilled sausages or bacon, and you only have one oven, place the macaroni cheese dish on the bottom of the oven to keep warm while these are cooking.
Notes
- Adapted from a recipe in ‘Good Housekeeping NEW STEP-by-STEP COOKBOOK‘ – published by Ebury Press
- All links to specific products are items that I use at home and recommend.
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How about trying my recipe for Surprisingly Good Veggie Chilli? It’s full of vegetables and pulses, and tastes really good!
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