Recipe
Macaroni Cheese
Although this is called macaroni cheese, you can use any pasta. If you cook too much, don’t throw it away. Store it in an airtight box in the fridge and eat within a couple of days. This is a basic recipe, so you can add other bits, such as sliced tomatoes, ham or bacon, chopped-up bangers, sweetcorn and peppers to make it more of a meal. It’s also a good way of using up cheese that’s past its best!
Ingredients:
- 200g of cooked (leftover) pasta (100g per person)
- 50g butter
- 20g (plain or self-raising – it doesn’t matter, but not cornflour)
- 250ml milk (semi or skimmed for a low-fat version)
- 70g grated cheese (plus a bit extra for crumbling on the top)
Method:
- Take a fl at-bottomed, ovenproof dish and spread the pasta in the bottom. If you’re adding any other ingredients, chuck them in now too. Spread out evenly.
- Melt the butter in a pan and blend in the flour to make what’s known as a ‘roux’ (the basis of a sauce).
- Bit by bit, stir in the milk. You’ll need to keep stirring it all the time – carry on until all the milk’s used and your sauce is nice and smooth–hopefully!
- Add the grated cheese (if you like, add a teaspoon of grainy mustard too) and stir until it’s blended in. Then pour the sauce over the pasta.
- Top with the last of the cheese (breadcrumbs are also nice) and pop the dish under a heated grill for about five minutes, so that the top is crisp and browned and the whole dish has heated through.