Macaroni cheese is popular for many reasons, including its comfort food qualities and versatility.
It’s a quick and easy meal that can be eaten for lunch or dinner and can be made in bulk to help families cook in batches.
It can be prepared in a variety of ways, but James Martin’s uses the traditional roux approach, loaded with lots of cheeses.
BBC Good Food’s recipe notes said: “This indulgent mac and cheese makes a remarkable stand-alone meal – or serve with slow-cooked or roasted meat dishes.”
This macaroni cheese serves four to six people and takes less than half an hour to make.
Ingredients:
For macaroni cheese:
300 g dried macaroni
40 g of butter
40 g plain flour
500 ml of milk
100 g of mild gorgonzola, grated
150 g grated cheddar
100g grated Caerphilly
Half a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
90 g of pancetta, chopped
100 g of mozzarella, chopped
75 g of fresh breadcrumbs
25 g of fresh parmesan
A large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
For the salad:
One tablespoon of whole grain mustard
One tablespoon of white vinegar
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One head of Romaine lettuce, cut into pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. Start by preheating the grill to the highest setting before cooking the macaroni in a large pot of salted water according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat the butter until it melts, mix in the flour and cook for one to two minutes.
3. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and wait until the mixture has thickened after each addition. Once all the milk has been added, add all the cheese, all the cheddar and Caerphilly to the sauce.
4. Heat the sauce gently until it melts, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Drain the cooked pasta and pour it into the pot containing the cheese sauce, toss well to coat the pasta and set aside.
6. Fry the chopped pancetta in a pan over high heat until golden brown and crispy, then mix it into the macaroni and cheese mixture.
7. Transfer this to a baking dish and sprinkle mozzarella, breadcrumbs and Parmesan on top and grill for 2-3 minutes.
8. For the salad, mix mustard, vinegar and olive oil together and season to taste. Add the salad and toss to coat it in the dressing.
9. Serve macaroni cheese with salad, sprinkle with chopped basil and enjoy.
