Ingredients:
Cheese grated (approximately 250g)
2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp flour
1 bag of macaroni (approximately 500g)
Salt (to taste)
1/4 cup browned onions
Tomatoes (as a garnish)
Steps:
1. Boil the pasta. Make sure it is only HALF cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the milk and flour on medium heat for approximately 1-2 minutes. (Do not let it boil – if it gets too hot, then just turn the stove off)
3. Set aside a small portion of the cheese for the top.
4. Add the remaining cheese and keep stirring until the cheese melts.
5. Add the salt to taste.
6. Add the pasta and mix until the pasta is fully coated in the cheese.
7. Mix in the onions (optional).
8. Place the mixture into a baking dish.
9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top
10. Garnish with round, thin cut tomatoes (optional).
11. Bake at 170 C for 15-20 mins.
Go to the next page for some mac and cheese recipe cooking tips.
Super cooking tips:
1. Make sure you only 1/2 boil your pasta. This way the pasta will still remain firm after it comes out of the oven.
2. Be careful not to boil the milk/cheese mixture. If the mixture gets too hot, just remove it from the heat – the cheese will still melt.
3. Try to use a “sharp” or “aged” cheddar cheese – this really enhances the taste of the mac & cheese.
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs on the top of your mac & cheese before baking for a crispy top layer.
5. You can also add vegetables to your macaroni and cheese. I usually add steamed and pureed butternut squash to my kids mac & cheese to make it healthier. Since the butternut squash is orange, it actually gives the dish a much nicer colour.
6. If you using this recipe for a party, I recommend using normal “white grain” macaroni pasta. If you are making it for your kid’s at home, then you can try using a different variety of wheat, veggie and/or different types of grain pasta.
This article was first published on SuperMommy.