High carb

Macaroni Cheese

A proper sauce, not cheese melted into cream. It takes five extra minutes.

35 min Serves 2 Stove, Saucepan, Oven

Per serving

619

kcal

24.7 g

protein

64.2 g

carbs

29.1 g

fat

4 g protein per 100 kcal · 2.3 g fibre. Calculated from the exact weights below using standard food composition data, so they are close estimates rather than lab values.

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Ingredients

For 2 servings.

  • Pasta, dry weight120 g
  • Cheddar cheese80 g
  • Semi-skimmed milk300 g
  • Butter30 g
  • Plain flour30 g
  • Mustard(optional)8 g

Method

  1. 1Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook it for a minute so it stops tasting raw.
  2. 2Add the milk a splash at a time, stirring, until smooth and thick.
  3. 3Off the heat, stir in the cheese and the mustard, then fold through the cooked pasta.
  4. 4Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes if you want a crust.

New to cooking? Read this first

The techniques and safety points this recipe uses, explained from scratch.

Raw meat and fish: keep them away from everything elseShow

Bacteria on raw meat do no harm once it is cooked — the danger is them getting onto food that will NOT be cooked, like salad or bread.

  1. Prepare vegetables and anything eaten raw FIRST, then the raw meat or fish last.
  2. Use a separate board for raw meat if you can. If you only have one, wash it and the knife in hot soapy water straight after the meat.
  3. Wash your hands after touching raw meat, before touching anything else — including the tap and the fridge handle.
Cooking pastaShow

Plenty of salty, fast-boiling water and a taste near the end are the whole secret.

  1. Use about 1 litre of water per 100 g of pasta. Bring it to a rolling boil, THEN add salt — about a level teaspoon per litre.
  2. Add the pasta and stir for the first minute so it doesn't stick together. No oil needed.
  3. Start tasting a piece 1–2 minutes before the time on the packet. 'Al dente' means soft but with a slight firm bite in the very middle.
  4. Before draining, scoop out a mug of the cooking water. A splash of it makes sauces glossy and helps them cling.
  5. Drain, don't rinse, and mix with the sauce straight away.
Melting butter or chocolateShow

Gentle heat. Butter and chocolate both burn easily.

  1. Butter: low to medium heat, swirling the pan, until it foams. Brown specks mean it is starting to burn.
  2. Chocolate: in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (not touching it), or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each.
Thickening a sauce by cooking it downShow

Letting a sauce bubble with the lid off lets water escape as steam, so it gets thicker and tastier.

  1. Take the lid off and keep it at a lively simmer.
  2. Stir every minute or two, scraping the bottom — it catches more easily as it thickens.
  3. Season at the END, because the salt concentrates as the liquid goes.

Ready when: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger stays clear.

Blending hot and cold things safelyShow

Blenders are simple, but hot liquid expands and can blow the lid off.

  1. Never fill more than halfway, and never more than a third with anything hot.
  2. Hold the lid down with a folded tea towel and start on the lowest speed, then turn it up.
  3. Always switch off at the wall before putting a spoon or finger near the blades.

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A standard home version of a well-known dish, written for Solviro. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient weights and will vary with brands and portions.