Quick macaroni & cheese

Easy family supper
No household should be without a Quick macaroni & cheese recipe. It is great for an easy weekday meal and something the whole family can enjoy. Some macaroni and cheese recipes are more like a firm quiche mixture, but this one is just the right combination of saucy and firm. The base is a white sauce seasoned with herbs and cheese. I prefer lots of texture in this dish and always put corn and peas in my recipe, because my kids love it, and it is a great way to avoid just having a lot of starch and to include extra veggies for them. The bacon adds extra flavour – making it even more delicious.
Recipe
Recipe from Make five/Maak vyf
Serves 4
Ingredients
300 g thin macaroni
60 ml (¼ cup) olive or avocado oil
250 g bacon, cut in cubes
45 ml (3 tbsp) cake flour
600 ml milk
125 ml (½ cup) grated white Cheddar cheese
10 ml (2 tsp) mixed dried herbs
lemon juice, salt and pepper
60 ml (¼ cup) chopped fresh chives
125 ml (½ cup) frozen whole kernel corn, rinsed
125 ml (½ cup) frozen peas, rinsed
extra mixed dried herbs to sprinkle on top
Method
- Bring 2,5-3 litres of water to the boil in a large pot and add a pinch of salt. Stir in the pasta and bowl until just soft (‘al dente’). Drain and add half of the oil. Keep warm.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Heat a large frying pan and fry bacon until golden brown. Spoon out and drain on paper towel.
- Heat remaining oil in the same pan and stir in the flour to form a paste. Simmer for a few minutes.
- Gradually stir the milk into the flour mixture, mixing continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Stir until a smooth sauce forms and it begins to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with herbs, lemon, salt and pepper. Stir in the chives, corn, peas and bacon.
- Turn on the element of the oven. Stir the sauce into the pasta and season to taste. Spoon into a 2-3 litre oven dish. Sprinkle extra herbs the pasta and roast under the element for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with a salad.
Tip
- Parmesan, pecorino or mature Cheddar cheese is also delicious in this recipe.
Image: Neville Lockhart.