The ultimate indulgent comfort food. Make one large dish or give everyone their own portion to savour.
Ingredients
For the macaroni cheese
- 3 cups milk
- 1 small peeled onion — studded with 1 whole clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 350g dried macaroni
- 50g butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup cream
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
- 250g tasty cheese — grated
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 rashers bacon — diced and cooked
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Method
For the macaroni cheese
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan bake). Grease a large oven dish or 4 individual ramekins.
- Place the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion and bay leaf.
- Bring the milk up to scalding point. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes. Remove the onion and bay leaf.
- Cook the macaroni in lightly salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat then stir in the flour. Cook gently, stirring continuously, until golden.
- Gradually add the warm milk and the cream, whisking continuously. Cook until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, nutmeg and three-quarters of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cooked macaroni and half the bacon.
- Spoon into the prepared dish or ramekins.
- Chop the remaining bacon more finely and mix it with the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle over the macaroni.
- Bake for 20–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.