Recipe: Macaroni Cheese

MACARONI CHEESE

There are hundreds of variations on this classic dish, but the best recipes are often the simple ones – and nothing beats a home-made Mac ‘n Cheese.

Feeds 4-5 people  Oven temperature: 190ºC (170ºC fan)/gas 4

INGREDIENTS

• 400g dried macaroni
• 50g Longman salted butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml semi-skimmed milk
• 3 tsp English mustard powder
• 225g Wyke Mature or Vintage Cheddar
• Black pepper to taste
• Optional extras: Fried lardons or chopped hard boiled egg (or both!)

For the Topping:

• 2 slices of white bread, made into crumbs
• 2 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese or 4 tbsps of grated Cheddar
• 1 large tomato, sliced
   

METHOD

Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted boiling water, with a splash of olive oil to separate the strands, until tender but with a bit of bite (about 8 minutes).

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter gently in a pan on a low heat and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then very gradually add the milk, stirring all the time until you have a smooth sauce.

Carry on stirring for a few minutes until it thickens, then add the mustard. Stir in the cheddar until melted. Take off the heat. At this point you can add the pepper, plus chopped hard boiled egg or fried bacon, or whatever takes your fancy.

Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold running water. Grease a baking dish with butter, then combine the pasta with the cheese sauce and tip into the dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan/extra Cheddar and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Arrange the tomatoes on top.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden. Allow to cool a little before serving.

Tip: For a lower fat version, use half milk & half vegetable stock for the cheese sauce and add use light Cheddar cheese.

Serve with: A mixed green salad or steamed broccoli