Mac Cheese

Prep Time: 0:15
Cook Time: 0:10
Serves: 4

Ingredients / Shopping List

150g medium macaroni

30g butter

30g flour

Pinch dry English mustard

350ml milk

100g Cheddar or Lancashire cheese

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tblsp single cream

Prep to Cook: I large pan, I medium sauce pan, measuring jug, wooden spoon, grater, spatula, colander, teaspoon, tablespoon

Prep: Prep the macaroni

Boil the kettle

Pour boiling water over the macaroni in the big pan and stir

Bring to the boil and simmer for 12 – 15 minutes

 Prep the sauce:

Grate the cheese putting 30g on one side for topping

All-in-one sauce:  Put the milk in the pan and whisk in the flour and dry mustard

Put the pan on the hob and bring to the boil

Keep whisking with a balloon head whisk or similar as the mixture gets hot

Stir rapidly as the sauce thickens and add the butter

Once boiled remove from the heat and add grated cheese and stir

Leave the cheese to melt and add the seasoning

Drain the macaroni through the colander and return to the pan

Pour the sauce into the pan and add 2 tablespoons of cream with the sauce

Stir gently with a spatula to mix the sauce with the macaroni without chopping it up

Grease a serving bowl with margarine

Pour in the macaroni cheese

Sprinkle over the topping

Put under a hot grill for 2 – 3 minutes until the topping is brown and crunchy

Check it out!

The all-in-one method of sauce making has been suggested in this recipe but you can try the ‘roux’ method if you wish, or even use cornflour and make a sauce by the blending method.

Recipe Science

Cooks Know How: Macaroni is a pasta made from wheat.  It requires boiling to soften it and as it cooks it absorbs water, swells and also turns a paler colour. You can test the macaroni by removing one piece and allowing it to cool.  Use your front teeth to check the ‘bite’ and detect if there is any gritty centre which would indicate further cooking required.  Drain macaroni well because the tubular shape pasta holds water and this needs to drain away to allow space for the tasty sauce. 

Making the sauce is all about creating a smooth sauce.  Keep the ‘all-in-one’ sauce on the go in order to prevent lumps forming.  The sauce does not need to be too thick because the cheese will thicken in further.  The cream slackens off the sauce and adds richness. You use dry mustard powder to pep up the sauce and seasoning to bring out the savouriness.