Mac ‘n cheese reinvented, 8 ways

The classic macaroni cheese

The cheese sauce is the most important thing!

To make a basic cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat, then whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the hot milk and cook, whisking, until thick and smooth. Season to taste.

Make it extra creamy

Start with a roux. The basis for any great sauce, it involves cooking the flour in butter, which prevents lumps and also allows the flour to combine and prevent a floury-tasting sauce.

A good roux is the basis of any classic mac ‘n cheese. Don’t limit yourself to using Cheddar and Parmesan; try blue cheese, Gruyère, Emmenthal or even goat’s cheese.

Or use a mixture of cheeses, we’ll leave you to think about all the possibilities...

Make it extra crispy

Choosing the correct type of pasta for this dish is extremely important. Choose a shape that will catch and hold the sauce. Thin, long pasta such as linguine and spaghetti should not be used. Rigatoni, layered with the hollow centre up, will allow all the cheesy sauce to pool in all the right places.

TASTE tip: If you’re adding grilled bacon to your mac ‘n cheese masterpiece, mix the chopped bacon with 60 g finely ground breadcrumbs and 2 T finely grated Parmesan. As for the gratinated mac n cheese with crisp bacon and roast tomatoes recipe, you’ll thank us later.

More tasty ways with macaroni cheese...

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Discover more cheesy recipes here.