Prep Time:
Yield:Description
A traditional macaroni cheese recipe that is quick and easy to prepare with the option of adding extra ingredients.
Ingredients
- 500g Macaroni
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups for the sauce and 1 cup for the topping)
- 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Optional Extras
These are optional, tasty extras to add more flavour to your Macaroni Cheese. In a small pot or pan, add the butter to a small frying pan, add the onions and fry until soft and translucent. Add the garlic cloves and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mustard and the ham and mix with the onions and garlic. Now add this mixture to the cheese sauce and then add to the cooked macaroni.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2–3 slices ham, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, chopped, for garnishing
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions and set aside
- While the macaroni is cooking, grate the cheese*
- Now, prepare the cheese sauce by heating the butter (medium heat) in a large pot. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Keep whisking to make a smooth mixture (this is called a roux).
- Add the milk, little by little, and keep whisking to ensure the sauce is smooth – I usually have the whisk in my right hand and the jug of measured milk in my left and I just keep whisking the whole time in a figure of 8 shape*
- Once all the milk has been incorporated, allow the sauce to thicken a little more – you don’t want it to be too runny and you don’t want it too thick either! You need to be the judge here!
- Add the 2 cups of cheddar cheese as well as the salt and a little freshly cracked black pepper and stir to combine.
- Add any optional extras that you cooked in a separate pan (see instructions under “optional extras”) and add to the cheese sauce and stir through.
- Now add the Macaroni to the sauce and stir through to coat all the pasta.
- Transfer to an ovenproof pot or dish and top with the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese
- Grill for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has turned brown and crispy. Garnish with freshly chopped Parsley (optional)*. Enjoy!
Notes
* If you don’t have enough cheese to make 3 cups, then you can easily use less – you will use less in your sauce and less as a topping.
* You are adding about 100ml at a time but the whole process of adding the milk doesn’t take too long. As the sauce thickens, you add a little milk and whisk to keep the sauce smooth and then the sauce thickens again and you repeat the process.
*Serve with a green salad or a crunchy veg like steamed green beans.