Mac 'n' cheese is one of those home comfort foods that has been a staple in most homes since the 14th century (literally!). Many restaurants now serve this family favourite as both a main and a side dish, especially in American-influenced diners.
Luckily for me, my uncle is an amazing chef, and he was kind enough to share his recipe for the perfect mac 'n' cheese with his favourite niece - and I’ve been cooking it this way ever since!
Ingredients - for the mac:
- 250g macaroni (or any other shaped pasta you find in the back of your cupboards)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 750ml milk
- 125g mature cheddar, grated
- 125g Red Leicester, grated
- 50g gruyère cheese, grated (this ingredient is optional - it will give your mac a really strong flavour which can be an acquired taste)
- 1 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp English mustard
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Ingredients - for the crumb:
- 75g breadcrumbs
- Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g parmesan, grated
Method:
1. Let’s start by making that crumb. Add the butter into a microwavable bowl and heat until melted. To this, add your olive oil, grated parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley. Stir the whole lot together, ét voila - crumb done! Easy.
2. Now we’re going to begin the main event - the mac. To begin, pre-heat your oven to 200°C. Boil a kettle of water and cook your macaroni according to the instructions. If you’re using fresh pasta, it will only need a couple of minutes, while dried pasta will need around 8 minutes. Once your pasta is cooked, drain and set aside for later. As you can see from my picture, I didn’t have any macaroni to hand, so instead I used conchiglie (shell pasta) which holds the sauce perfectly.
3. In a separate saucepan, we’re going to make a roux. If you’ve read my Mushroom Sauce recipe, you’ll know how to do this one already. Melt your butter over a medium heat before adding the flour. Quickly whisk the two together into a smooth paste and slowly add the milk, whisking continually.
4. Once the milk has been added and the mixture is smooth, add your cheeses a handful at a time. Keep stirring until fully melted to avoid lumps. To the sauce, add your nutmeg and mustard, before adding in the cooked pasta and seasoning.
5. Once you have mixed the pasta thoroughly into the cheese sauce, empty it all into a pyrex dish, adding your prepared crumb evenly to the top. Then, bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until those breadcrumbs are nice and golden, and your cheese sauce is bubbling. When the timer starts ringing, serve immediately.
This recipe usually makes 4-6 main portions, depending on how big your plates are, or how hungry you’re feeling! I love serving my mac 'n' cheese with ciabatta garlic bread - what will you serve with yours? Insta your pictures with the hashtag #THEBlog and don’t forget to like, comment, share and subscribe using the link at the top of the page!
No comments:
Post a Comment