This perfect baked macaroni cheese recipe comes with a creamy cheese sauce, a hint of mustard and uses leftover French stick for its crunchy topping
Ingredients
- 50g baguette, cut into small chunks
- 2 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp melted
- 350g spiral or other short pasta
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp English mustard powder
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml whole milk
- 250g vegetarian mature cheddar, grated
- 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Method
-
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the baguette chunks over a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter and season. Bake for 6 mins until crisp, then set aside.
-
Boil the pasta for 2 mins less than stated on the pack, then drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and English mustard powder, cook for 1 min, then stir in the plain flour.
-
Cook for 1 min more, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce. Simmer for 5 mins, whisking all the time until thickened. Take off the heat, then stir in the cheddar and half the parmesan.
-
Stir the pasta and some seasoning into the cheesy sauce. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, or four individual dishes.
-
Scatter over the bread and the remaining parmesan, then bake for 20 mins until crisp and golden. Can be frozen before baking – defrost thoroughly before cooking.