Macaroni cheese

I fancy this tonight however, previous attempts have been patchy at best.

It always ends up a bit claggy for want of a better expression.

How do you make yours?

I get my g/f to do it? She make a cheese sauce as per her ancient “student cook book” (adding twice the cheese recommended, and at least 3 types: Cheddar, parmesan & gruyere ) and then sticks it on a bain-marie (a pot of boiling water) to make it even smoother

For ultimate artery clogging cheesiness, I use some grain mustard and a giant pile of grated cheddar, loosened with some olive oil. No messing about with bechamel.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/06/how-to-cook-perfect-macaroni-cheese

We use this,no tomatoes but add crispy bacon bits.

cheddar, loosened with some olive oil. No messing about with bechamel.

Impressed. Hang fannying about with sauce. Straight to oil and cheese.😁

Cant stand cheese. Smells like feet.
Other half likes pasta with melted cheese which makes me gag. The smell alone puts me off food.

add crispy bacon bits.

This is always the correct course of action.

Cant stand cheese. Smells like feet.

Hello Peter*

* Bake off joke

I have an old recipe etched in my brain, I make it so much for the kids. For family sized batch:

Get 300g pasta on. Add peas and sweetcorn after a few mins.
While that’s going, 40g butter into pan, melt, add 40g flour, then about 400ml milk slowly for white sauce. 100g(ish) of grated cheese into the sauce, then mix into the drained pasta/veg mix.
180c for 15-20 mins.

Add bacon, leeks and cauliflower, convince self this mess of carbs and cheese is “healthy”

KaseSpatzle as an alternative is a winner IMO.

https://www.daringgourmet.com/kaesespaetzle-swabian-german-macaroni-and-cheese/

making a proper cheese sauce is one of those things that looks like a faff but is actually dead easy once you have the technique (kung-roux?)

The the critical ingredient as well as lots of cheese is mustard. Not a lot, I don’t even like mustard really but it makes the difference.

And then lardons on top.

My mum used to smash up a bag of ready salted and sprinkle on top prior to a quick last shjush under the grill, for extra crispy bits, but that probably would lose me my Michelin star

A slight spin but I make this variety https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/butternut-macaroni-cheese and its bloomin’ lovely!

A bit sweary in the delivery, but this guy has been reliable for a few recipes over the last year. Haven’t tried his macaroni cheese yet though

Edit:NSFW for rude words

60g butter 60g flour
400ml milk
225g cheddar extra strong
Teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Onions and bacon bits

There are a few things in life its just not worth making it yourself and Macaroni Cheese is one of them. Just buy a decent ready made one from the shops. You can always jazz up with a bit of mustard or something if you so wish.

I’ve always thought of macaroni Cheese as an accompaniment to something else rather than a stand alone meal. Just too much of a claggy mess to have more than a couple of spoonfuls of.

You’re clearly doing it wrong.

I quite like the Heston version made with stock and cornflour rather than roux

I’ve always thought of macaroni Cheese as an accompaniment to something else rather than a stand alone meal. Just too much of a claggy mess to have more than a couple of spoonfuls of.

I suspect your first paragraph is the cause of the second sure.

Well executed (and it’s not hard you just need to be attentive to the roux) Mac and cheese is stuff of god’s.

I’ve yet to have a shop bought Mac and cheese that doesnt feel like goo.

Follow this recipe but use macaroni and add pancetta/bacon/chorizo as preferred. Bob on.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheesy-broccoli-pasta-bake

Cant stand cheese. Smells like feet.

I think you need some time on the naughty step to have a think about what it is you’ve just said.

You can add anything to macaroni cheese and it’s ace, big chunks of gammon being a personal favourite

I remember having it with crab meat in a place in St Ives. Absolutely bloody lovely!

I do like a good Mac’n’cheese. Both mustard and shallots normally make it into my sauces.

I will also put my hand up and confess a dirty desire for Kraft Cheesy Macaroni. No, I’ve no idea what they put into that powdered sauce mix. After a cold, wet ride and than a pub session it’s my go-to quick food option (often supplemented with bacon bits and peas).

Add peas and sweetcorn after a few mins.

WTF????

Cheesy bechamal sauce, cooked pasta, mix and bung it in the oven for 30min. If you want to get fancy a crispy top is nice: breadcrumbs and a bit of parmesan are the obvious choice, but crushed ready salted crisps with a bit of grated cheddar also work well.

I will also put my hand up and confess a dirty desire for Kraft Cheesy Macaroni.

This, a filthy secret of mine.

This, a filthy secret of mine.

The whole pack, aye?

Lobster mac n cheese.

Take the meat out a lobster. Shell into fry pan with an onion fry up a bit add 400ml milk a squeeze of tomato puree and a big pinch cayenne pepper. Heat for 40mins don’t boil strain.
Use this milk to make the bechemal. Chuck lobster into cooked pasta when you add the cheese sauce.
Panko breadcrumbs and parmesan for the top.

I’m calling this a win. I felt I could have had more bacon and deffo moar cheddar and parmesan but a nice consistency to the white sauce.

And what’s more no calories, great!

Got to keep it pretty classic. None of your added bacon nonsense.

Equal amounts (about a heaped tablespoon) of butter/oil and plain flour.
Mix together well and cook out for a few minutes but don’t allow to colour.
Whisk (with an actual whisk – not a spoon) in cold milk a little at a time until you get a consistency slightly looser than you want.
Add as much grain mustard as you want and cook out for a bit.
Add loads of strong grated cheese and stir/melt in – this should thicken the sauce to the consistency you want.
Season with loads of black pepper.
Mix into cooked macaroni in an ovenproof dish.
Liberally top with more grated cheese (optionally add some panko and/or parmesan)
Bake until topping is golden and crispy.
Serve and then drench (and I get this is likely to be divisive) with ketchup.

Onion
Mustard, I like whole grain
Cheese sauce.
Bacon on top
No bloody tomato!!

Good on top of a pie too – Binners, sure you’d approve!

making a proper cheese sauce is one of those things that looks like a faff but is actually dead easy once you have the technique (kung-roux?)

I recommend a balloon whisk. But as you say, it’s dead easy. Even a proper béchamel or veloute is no big deal really.

The the critical ingredient as well as lots of cheese is mustard. Not a lot, I don’t even like mustard really but it makes the difference.

A small dab of mustard is a must (see what I did?) in even a basic white sauce.

Kraft Cheesy Macaroni. No, I’ve no idea what they put into that powdered sauce mix.

Crack obviously.

The whole pack, aye?

God aye. After a winter ride, I reckon I could nail 2 packs.

I make one pot macaroni cheese now, less hassle.

Cook pasta, drain, pasta back in pan back on the heat, 2 big tablespoons of butter til it melts, then 2 of cornflour, stir til it’s claggy, then a few glugs of milk. when it thickens a bawhair, as much grated cheese as you have, and ditto the black pepper.

Easy.

Although I love pub macaroni which obviously has a wad of double cream in there, but can’t be arsed trying to recreate.

Last Xmas I got the Hairy bikers ‘one pot’ cookbook. There’s a macaroni cheese recipe in there I’ve done quite a lot in the past year – the kids love it and it’s nice and easy for an amateur like me.
Minimal washing up too 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUeyrEN14Rk&t=309s

This is a great video. Well worth a watch

Really unsure on the cauliflower and peas suggestions. Mac n Cheese is an indulgence and doesn’t need that in it!

I’ve been smoking lots of cheese through the winter, so a large grating of some smoked cheese makes it very tasty. Crispy bacon bits, then topped with a mix of cheese and small amount of breadcrumbs on top.

English mustard powder in with the flour when making the roux (~1 tsp for 30g flour with 30g butter).
Along with bacon, try some fried mushrooms stirred through too.
Keep Worcester sauce on standby for serving.

Good on top of a pie too – Binners, sure you’d approve!

I was introduced to the wonder of the macaroni cheese pie while up in Scotlandshire last year. A thing of joy and wonder it was too

Hairy bikers ‘one pot’ cookbook

Got that but hadn’t spotted the Mac n Cheese, will check it out.

The last M&C I did was from the BBCGF magazine, recipe from that bloke off Masterchef. Had fish and truffle oil, properly lovely.

fish and truffle oil

Get in the sea.

I was introduced to the wonder of the macaroni cheese pie while up in Scotlandshire last year. A thing of joy and wonder it was too

My local baker does them (they used to be a Greggs staple many years ago, but since Greggs went shite they’ve gone) and for every pie you buy, you get a free cake.

It’s a very dangerous game.