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Macaroni Cheese

Claire Eckhart

For Dinner ( Pasta )

By

Published on

20 minutes to prepare and 20-30 minutes to cook

Serves 6-8

Description

My version of a traditional favourite

Ingredients

500g dry macaroni
600ml milk - best if hi/lo or full fat but it will work with skim
2-3 Tbslspns Cornflour
Dried Onion flakes to taste
Bacon cut into small dice
Chopped cooked chicken - no skin (optional)
400g grated cheddar cheese (50g reserved)
200g grated mozzarella cheese
1 tomato sliced or 6 cherry tomatoes halved
Bread or Corn Flake Crumbs
S&P to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 200C
Spray or grease an oven proof 10 cup capacity dish
Cook macaroni to direction, drain and set aside
Cook bacon either in a frypan or microwave until just cooked. Set aside.
Pour milk into a saucepan, sprinkle on cornflour and stir to combine, ensuring you break up any lumps
Turn on heat and add onion flakes. Stir constantly (to avoid lumpy sauce) until it comes to a boil, continue stirring at a boil for about 1 minute to cook out the cornflour. Reduce to a simmer for approx 5 - 8 mins.
Once sauce is cooked to desired consistency, remove from heat, season to taste and add grated cheddar and mozzarella. Stir till cheese has completely melted into the sauce.
Place half the macaroni in the dish, sprinkle with bacon, pour over half the sauce then repeat with remaining macaroni, bacon & sauce....reserve a little of the bacon for decoration if desired.
Ensure sauce is encompassed through the dish by gently combining and poking through with a spoon.
Top with reserved cheese, crumbs and tomatoe.
Bake for approx 20 mins depending on your oven or until the top is golden and bubbly.

Notes

If adding chicken, layer as per the bacon.
You could easily add frozen peas or corn if desired.
Clearly omit tomato if not a fan. It's more decorative than anything.

NB: I'm afraid my quantities are a bit of a "guesstimate" as I make this recipe by eye. Cheese flavour will be dependant on your taste so I would suggest adding cheese and tasting as you go with the sauce till desired cheesiness.

It's important with the sauce to understand that you can add more milk, but not more cornflour so better to go with a thicker sauce and thin it down than try to add the starch as it will just go lumpy. :) (of course, if you make your sauce by the roux method...go right ahead)

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