Macaroni cheese has become a staple in the diets of many and it's no wonder why... Its cheesy, creamy and oh so delicious and is perfect comfort food. Macaroni cheese actually isn't Italian, but instead has origins in England. It is however very similar to the traditional Italian dish pasta al forno. Garlic bread pairs together great with macaroni cheese and it can be served for lunch, dinner, or whenever. It's super easy to make and only uses simple ingredients you probably have in your fridge and pantry already. We recommend using cheddar cheese in this recipe, as its strong flavours really make this meal delicious. Thinking about it is making me want more, so without further ado, here is the recipe!
Happy Cooking!
The Chai Home 😋
INGREDIENTS
Serves 5 - 6
500g of macaroni pasta
Large pinch of Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
Tablespoon of Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
For the cheese sauce
80g of butter
5 tbsp of plain flour
2 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1x heaped tsp of English Mustard
1 litre of milk
100g of grated cheddar
100g of grated parmesan
100g of grated gouda
1x cup of pasta water
Toppings
2x Tomatoes - thinly sliced
Cracked Black Pepper
Nutmeg
METHOD
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add your macaroni once the water has come to the boil and cook for 2 minutes less than instructed on the packet.
Preheat the oven to 260C
Meanwhile in a medium sized saucepan add the butter and melt on a medium heat. Once melted take off the heat.
Add the flour and mix together well. Now add the worcestershire sauce, and Mustard, and combine together.
Return to a medium heat and slowly add the milk while whisking together with a fork or whisk. Stir regularly to ensure it does not stick or burn. Once the milk is hot and the flour and milk has combined, and thickened, go ahead and add all of the grated cheese and mix until it has almost melted and the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and put to one side until needed.
Once the macaroni has cooked, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, and then drain well and place into a large oven proof dish.
Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the cheese sauce and mix well. If you want to loosen the cheese sauce a bit more then slowly add the other cup of water until you reach your preferred consistency.
Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, and then add the Salt, Pepper, Thyme Leaves, and nutmeg.
Mix it all together well ensuring all of the macaroni is covered.
Now add the slices of Tomato on top, and add another small sprinkle of pepper & nutmeg over the top.
Place it on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy.
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