An easy to whip up homemade mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food for the holiday season.
Serves: 04
Ingredients:
For the Macaroni
Macaroni – 500 gms
Water – 1 ltr
Salt – as required
Oil – 15 ml
Parmesan cheese grated – 150 gms
White cheddar – 100 gms
Yellow cheddar – 100 gms
For the Bechamel
Milk – 300 ml
Onion – 1 medium size
Bay leaf – 1 pc
Clove – 4 pcs
Butter – 15 gms
Flour – 15 gms
Nutmeg – pinch
Salt – as required
Pepper powder – as required
Method:
For the Macaroni
- In a small stock pot on high heat bring water to a boil. Add salt, oil and the pasta.
- Cook till al dante for aprox 5 mins. Drain and set aside.
For the Bechamel
- In a small sauce pan on low heat make a roux by combining the butter and flour. Cook for 2 mins without any color and set aside to cool.
- Stud the onion with the cloves and infuse the milk with the studded onion and the bay leaf over low heat in a separate sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 mins.
- Strain the infused milk into the roux mixture and whisk continuously until silky smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Add the cheddar cheese and half the parmesan cheese and mix well until thickened.
Assembly
- In a large mixing bowl mix the cheese sauce and the macaroni pasta.
- Transfer to a casserole, sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bake for 180°C until golden brown on the top around 10-12 mins.
PS: If the Bechamel Cheese sauce is too thick, add a little milk to thin it down. Check the consistency of the sauce constantly.
