In The Kitchen with Kanta : Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Mac ‘n’ Cheese

I sit here enjoying my freshly baked, homemade Mac ‘n’ cheese and I ask myself why I have not yet shared this mouth watering recipe with my readers?  It would not be right for me to withhold such a gem of a recipe.

Macaroni and cheese is one of those hearty meals that you can enjoy with your family whenever.  My family and I love it so much that we have it as one of our Christmas dishes.  But whether you want to have it for a luscious Christmas meal; or just for a quick and tasty dinner when you are on a tight budget, it is safe to say you can’t go wrong with a homemade Mac ‘n’ cheese.  This recipe is very simple with a few ingredients.  Ideal for lunch or dinner, you can enjoy it with a light salad or on its own.  It doesn’t need much more of an introduction – here is my super easy and tasty Mac ‘n’ cheese recipe.

Preparation & cooking time 1 hour

Serves 8 people with room for seconds

Ingredients

600g of macaroni

2 tsp of oil

150g cheddar cheese

100g of parmesan cheese

50g of red Leicester cheese (optional)

Paprika

Sea salt

Ginger and garlic seasoning / fresh ginger and garlic

3 heaped tbsp of Plain flour

1.5 litre of milk

45g butter

2 tbsp of Bread crumbs (optional)

Method

 

Boil water in a pot with a bit of sea salt and tsp of oil.  Once water starts bubbling add macaroni and follow instructions on the pack, or boil until soft.

Grate all your cheese or buy it already grated.

In a saucepan/pot melt butter on low heat, then add flour and turn heat up to medium.  Stir in the flour and butter until you get a paste, this is your roux.  Gradually add in milk a bit at a time, to make sure there are no lumps. Stir continuously until all the milk is added, and the roux is smooth.  Season with sea salt, ginger and garlic seasoning, making sure you continue stirring.  Add as much seasoning as you need, to make it taste how you want it to taste.  Now add all your cheese and stir in, until completely melted.

Drain the macaroni and add the roux, mixing well.  Now pour the macaroni into a heat proof/ceramic dish.  Grate some extra cheese and sprinkle over the top.

On a pan add 1 tsp of oil, bread crumbs and paprika.  Toss the breadcrumbs until they brown a little just for about 1 minute.  Sprinkle over the top of the Mac ‘n’ cheese; for that extra bit of crunch.

Now place the Mac ‘n’ cheese in the oven on about 150 ? C, and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese on the top has melted and is golden brown and bubbling.

Serving

Serve hot, with a fresh light salad, or on its own.  Enjoy

 

 

Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.

You can find her work on www.kantakakes.com.  Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.