Macaroni cheese in 4 easy steps
Macaroni cheese in 4 easy steps
A simple step-by-step guide to making a classic supper dish for quick fix. An old favourite
- Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Plus infusing - Serves 4
- Easy
Ingredients
- 700ml full-fat milk
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 350g macaroni
- 5g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
- 50g plain flour
- 175g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 50g coarse white breadcrumbs
Carbonara
For a smoky kick, add a little cooked chopped smoked bacon or
pancetta to the sauce.
The white sauce is too thick
If the sauce
is too thick, simply add a little more milk
or water to help loosen it. Remember, the
addition of cheese and hot macaroni will
thicken the sauce further.
Try some new flavours
Macaroni cheese is a very versatile dish –
you can add extra flavours you love or
use up leftover ingredients.
Special cheese
Add some of your
favourite cheese to the sauce instead of
the cheddar. Blue cheese works really
well, especially a creamy Gorgonzola, or try using some nutty-tasting Gruyère.
The macaroni sticks together
Keep
running water over the macaroni and
break the pieces apart with your fingers.
Ideally, time the macaroni so that it is
cooked at the same time as you finish
the cheese sauce, then mix the two
together straight away.
Creamy veg
Gently fry some leeks and
mushrooms in a little butter, then stir into
the pasta along with sauce. Top with a
layer of thinly sliced tomatoes instead of
using Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
Method
-
Prepare the pasta: In a small pan, warm the milk, onion, garlic and bay leaf until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, leave covered to infuse for 10 mins, then strain. Cook the macaroni according to pack instructions until just soft, but still with a little bite (this is called al dente in Italian). This will take about 10 mins. Drain in a colander, then run under the tap and stir to stop the pasta sticking together.
-
Make a roux: (A roux is simply flour and fat, cooked together, then used to thicken sauces.) Heat oven to 190C/ fan 170C/gas 5 and butter a 25 x 18cm ovenproof dish. Melt the butter in the medium pan. When foaming, add the flour, then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min on a low heat.
-
Finish the sauce: Slowly stir the warm infused milk into the roux until smooth. Simmer for 3-4 mins, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and has a coating consistency (run your finger through the sauce on a spoon – it should leave a trail). Remove the pan from the heat, then add the cheddar and mustard powder. Season, then stir until the cheese has melted.
-
Assemble and bake: Mix the cheesesauce through the macaroni to coat it well, then tip into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan and breadcrumbs over the top, then bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown and bubbling. Serve piping hot on its own or with a green salad.
-
EQUIPMENT: 1 small saucepan with lid, 1 large saucepan, 1 medium saucepan, colander, chopping board, sharp knife, grater, wooden spoon, ovenproof dish
from 999999999999 http://ift.tt/1ST31wh
