Macaroni pasta bubbling in nutty, creamy Gruyère cheese is like a warm blanket on a cold wintry night. Already scrumptious, unexpected toppings or stir through twists can add delicious drama to a classic Mac and Cheese, the most indulgent of comfort foods.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ tablespoons plain flour
750ml full fat milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cups Gruyère cheese (grated)
¾ cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
½ cup breadcrumbs (made from day old bread)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup parmesan (finely grated)
300g elbow macaroni or penne pasta
Method
1. Preheat oven 180°C.
2. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain. Place in ovenproof baking dish.
3. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add flour, stirring continuously. Lower heat. Add milk while whisking. Stir in mustard, Gruyere, mozzarella, and salt.
4. Stir cheese sauce through pasta.
5. Sprinkle parmesan and breadcrumbs on top.
6. Bake until topping is golden brown.
Unexpected twists
-Replace parmesan with 4 slices of chopped prosciutto OR 100g chopped spicy chorizo.
-Stir 2 teaspoons chopped, rehydrated porcini mushrooms OR ½ cup chopped black olives through cooked Mac and Cheese
-OR Before baking, stir though 1 cup leftover roast chicken and 1 tsp dried tarragon.
For more of Jayne Economos’ delectable home cooking ideas and recipes, head here