I think that Mac ‘n’ Cheese is great on its own but that it can also be enhanced with other ingredients too and is a useful way of making a cheap meal and use up any leftovers which in the current conditions is a good thing when we want to cut down on unnecessary grocery shopping trips and food wastage.
We had some tomatoes that were fine but past their best so roasted them in olive oil to top a bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese.
The cheese and tomato combination worked wonderfully. Many other types of pasta will work well too if you can’t get macaroni.
Ingredients – serves two
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour (self-raising will do)
- 50g butter
- 200g grated cheddar
- 200ml milk
- 8-12 tomatoes
- Vegetable oil
- Sea salt or table salt
- 150g macaroni
Method
Oil the tomatoes and roast them whole in a hot oven at 180C until well softened and charred a little. You could alternatively pan fry them and if using large tomatoes chop them into smaller pieces.
When cooked allow to cool a little before serving as the liquid in the tomatoes will be boiling hot.
For the cheese sauce melt the butter gently in a saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook gently on a low heat stirring constantly for a couple of minutes until well combined. Add the milk and raise the heat slightly until bubbling and stir until you have a smooth sauce and with all lumps stirred in. Add the grated cheese and stir in until combined. You can leave this to one side and warm through when the pasta and tomatoes are ready.
Cook the pasta as per packet instructions. Drain and serve in bowls. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix in well. Top with the roasted tomatoes to serve.
Gavin McArdell
www.CurryFrenzy.com
