The Ultimate Mac and Cheese

There’s nothing quite like homemade mac and cheese when you need a proper comfort food fix. This version is rich, creamy and packed with flavour from a blend of mature cheddar, Red Leicester, mozzarella and parmesan, then finished with a crispy golden topping for the perfect crunch. It’s a brilliant family dish for cosy weeknight dinners, casual weekend suppers or sharing straight from the oven at the table.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

For the Pasta and Sauce:

• 375g dried macaroni pasta

• 1 tsp salt

• 60g butter

• 60g plain flour

• 600ml milk

• 200ml water

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp white pepper

• 150g mature cheddar cheese, grated

• 75g Red Leicester cheese, grated

• 60g mozzarella, grated

• 50g parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp mustard

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For the Topping:

• 2 slices of white bread

• 20g grated parmesan

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp onion powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

2. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 minutes until just tender. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.

3. In the same pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to make a roux.

4. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously until you have a smooth sauce. Add the water and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.

5. Stir in the onion powder, white pepper, grated cheddar, Red Leicester, mozzarella, parmesan and mustard. Mix until the cheese has melted into a smooth, rich sauce.

6. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir well to coat. Loosen with a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed.

7. To make the topping, blitz or tear the white bread into crumbs, then mix with the parmesan, olive oil and onion powder.

8. Spoon the mac and cheese into a 4 litre cast aluminium dish or ovenproof baking dish.

9. Scatter the topping evenly over the pasta.

10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling with a crisp, golden top. Serve hot.