Macaroni cheese

Ingredients

400g macaroni
25g unsalted butter
25g plain flour
400ml whole milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
75g Cheddar, grated
75g Gruyère, grated, plus extra for topping
Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients

400g macaroni
25g unsalted butter
25g plain flour
400ml whole milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
75g Cheddar, grated
75g Gruyère, grated, plus extra for topping
Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until almost cooked. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tbsp cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and stir through the reserved water. Set aside.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, making a thick white sauce. Season, then add the mustard, cheeses and parsley.
Mix the cheese sauce with the pasta, then spoon into a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Top with the extra Gruyère, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until almost cooked. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tbsp cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and stir through the reserved water. Set aside.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, making a thick white sauce. Season, then add the mustard, cheeses and parsley.
Mix the cheese sauce with the pasta, then spoon into a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Top with the extra Gruyère, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

delicious. tips

Next time try using a blue cheese such as Gorgonzola instead of Cheddar, or Pecorino or Manchego instead of Gruyère. Or try adding tiny fried chunks of chorizo and wilted baby spinach to the cooked pasta. Top with cheese, then bake.

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Rhyanne Harvey says:

24th Jun 2015 at 1:34 pm

I love this recipe because it is quick and easy to make, after a long day at work. I also love it because you can vary the ingredients by type of cheese or adding some meats, other veg etc. My all time favourite to cook :-)

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