Macaroni Cheese.

You say Smile I say Cheese.

pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: perhaps the lady with the crown can do La Tour de France.

Traditionally making macaroni cheese sauce is a complete faff, making a roux, cooking out the flour, turning it into a white sauce before adding cheese; who’s got time for all that?

Last month we cooked Kasespatzle, an Austrian version, where the ‘pasta’ is the bit that’s a complete faff!

In this American inspired twist on the traditional recipe for macaroni cheese, all you need to do is choose a mix of cheeses that melt easily, don’t go too stringy and taste deliciously artery blocking.

Macaroni Cheese Ingredients.

• 250g Macaroni.
• 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced.
• 200g Soft Cheese with good flavour; Gorgonzola, Port Salut, Camembert or, made famous by Wallace and Grommit, Stinking Bishop – or a mixture; chopped.
• 4 tblsp Philly Cheese or Mascarpone.
• 4 tblsp Creme Fraiche.
• Handful fresh Breadcrumbs.
• Freshly grated Parmesan.
• S&P.

How to Make Macaroni Cheese.

1. Cook the pasta with the onion in salted water; slightly under rather than over, usually about 10mins.
2. Drain, but keep the water.
3. Put the cheese, philly and crème fraiche in a saucepan.
4. Add about 100ml of the pasta water.
5. Warm over a gentle heat, stirring.
6. Once the cheese has mostly melted, throw in the pasta; keep stirring.
7. Add more cooking water to get a good, creamy consistency.
8. Keep the heat gentle, do not boil.
9. Season to taste.
10. Mix breadcrumbs with parmesan, sprinkle this on pasta/cheese.
11. Brown under grill; if your saucepan doesn’t have a metal handle, transfer mixture to a oven-proof dish before grilling.

Serve your macaroni cheese immediately with lightly steamed green veg like purple sprouting: Serves 4.

pop trivia: “You say smile I say cheese” is taken from Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’