I made this big boy Mac ‘n Cheese a week or two ago. It was a *winna winna chicken dinna* vibe, which also doubled up as a #fiftybuckstofeedfour – rad. Look, mac ‘n cheese is a favourite for a reason – cheap, cheerful, tasty – nuff said. But even a classic needs a bit of pimping every now & then – know what I’m saying?
Ingredients bought for this puppy: a packet of macaroni, a packet of bacon, a small packet of Rosa tomatoes & some extra cheese & milk. The flour, spices & condiments were already lurking in my cupboard & fridge.
The MacDaddy
500g macaroni, cooked & drained
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp (45ml) cake flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp (45ml) Dijon mustard (or whatever)
1 tsp (5ml) smoky paprika (or whatever)
Magic Maldon & Black Pepper Burst
1 cup (250ml) grated cheddar cheese
1 packet bacon, chopped, fried *crisp* with 1 chopped garlic clove
1 red pepper, chopped & fried with the bacon
A few Rosa tomatoes
Fresh thyme (if you have)
OK, this is so easy. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour to create a roux, remove from the heat & slowly add some milk, mixing well to create a paste (get all of those lumps out), add the remaining milk,return to a medium heat & whisk until the mixture comes up to the boil. Reduce the heat & whisk until smooth and thick (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the mustard, paprika and season well with Magic Maldon & black pepper burst. Add the cheese and *mix mix* – pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and mix. Add the crispy, garlicky bacon & peppers, adjust seasoning & tumble into a large ovenproof dish. Dot the tomatoes into the noodles & scatter with some grated Parmesan if you have some lurking about (not essential). Chuck on the fresh thyme if you have it. Bake in a preheated 220C oven for 20 minutes until golden & crunchy.
*I dollop masses of fresh chilli onto this bad boy – spice is nice & all that*
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