Macaroni and cheese

This is my go-to when Freyja is hungry and I've nothing planned. I'm only writing this here because I can never remember the quantites required to make the white sauce. You can make this fancy by sprinkling breadcrumbs and parmesan over the top and finishing it in the oven, but most often, I don't bother. I make a half recipe when it's just for one.

Ingredients

  • 2 tblsp butter
  • 2 tblsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • parmesan (optional)
  • breadcrumbs (optional)

Method

  1. Boil some water and set the pasta to cook as per the packet instructions. Reserve some of the cooking water when you drain it.

  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk constantly. Let it bubble gently for a couple of minutes. You want to make sure that the flour is "cooked", so that the final sauce will not have a floury taste.

  3. Slowly, splash by splash, add the milk, whisking constantly. Between splashes, wait until the milk is fully incorporated before adding the next splash. This is important, to make sure that there are no lumps.

  4. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the cheese, salt and pepper, whisking constantly. Mix the cheese and pasta together. If the sauce is too thick, add in a splash of the pasta water.

  5. If adding a crunchy top, spoon the pasta and sauce into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle over some grated parmesan and breadcrumbs. Place under the grill in the oven and keep an eye on it. When it's browned and melted, it's ready to serve.

References

Edmonds "Sure to Rise" Cookery Book forty-eighth (2001) edition. Bluebird Foods Ltd.

Tags

  • Recipe
  • Easy
  • Quick
  • Dinner