Macaroni cheese
Customise this recipe to make your perfect macaroni cheese for a quick family dinner that everyone will love. You can also make it with extra vegetables, bacon and breadcrumbs on top.
Each serving provides 743 kcal, 34g protein, 60g carbohydrates (of which 8g sugars), 40g fat (of which 25g saturates), 3.5g fibre and 1.7g salt.
Method
Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8–10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan slightly larger than that used for the macaroni. Add the flour and stir to form a roux, cooking for a few minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time. Cook for 10–15 minutes to a thickened and smooth sauce.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to hot.
Remove the sauce from the hob, add 175g/6oz of the cheddar and stir until it is well combined and melted.
Add the macaroni to the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a deep suitably-sized ovenproof dish.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheddar and the Parmesan and place the dish under the hot grill. Cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve straightaway.
Recipe Tips
What to add to macaroni and cheese?
Boost the vegetable count in this macaroni cheese by adding cooked broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, leeks, carrots or slices of tomato on the top. Cooked, mashed squash will make the cheese sauce orange, but delicious.
If you want to make your mac and cheese more indulgent, try adding a breadcrumb topping and pieces of cooked bacon or prosciutto, as Rick Stein does in his.
What kind of cheese is best in macaroni cheese?
Most of the flavour in the dish comes from cheese, so use varieties you like the taste of. It’s good to use a mixture of cheeses for a more rounded flavour, but the bulk of your cheese should be an easy-melting variety (like cheddar, double gloucester, red leicester, gruyère, taleggio, Monterey Jack and fontina). Hard cheeses, like Parmesan, don’t melt as well but bring great flavour so are best reserved for the topping as they could make your sauce grainy. If you love smoky flavours try using smoked cheddar and a little chipotle paste like the Hairy Bikers.
It's best to avoid the pre-grated cheese you can buy from supermarkets. It’s often coated in an anti-caking agent to prevent the strands sticking together in the bag, but this affects how the cheese melts and can make your sauce grainy.
Can I use any pasta for macaroni cheese?
Macaroni is obviously classic, but any short pasta shape will work. Long strands, such as spaghetti and tagliatelle, are at risk of clumping together in a solid mass so best avoided.