Carole Food.

Whenever I make this macaroni and cheese, someone asks for the recipe! And to be honest, it’s probably my favourite macaroni and cheese recipe ever. It’s got two different types of cheese (cheddar for flavour, mozzarella for texture) and lots of different seasoning and spices. You definitely won’t regret making this! 

If you’re looking for another comforting dish, be sure to try out these recipes:

• Smoky Tomato Feta Orzo
• Quick Beef Curry

Why you’ll love this dish

• Comforting - for me the epitome of comfort food is macaroni and cheese. It’s creamy, carby, and it’s very nostalagic! Also if you’re clever, you’ll save a portion for the freezer for those moments when you really can’t be bothered to cook anything. Details about freezing are below.
• Crowd pleaser - you can bet that if you make this for someone, they’ll be very happy! It’s a great thing to make for a group of friends because you can make it easily ahead of time then just pop it in the oven when everyone comes around. 

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Macaroni: it wouldn’t be macaroni and cheese without macaroni, but of course you can subsitute this for other (small) pasta shapes if you want.

Butter and flour: both essential to making the roux! 

Tomato paste: provides depth of flavour and colour to the dish.

Spices and herbs: of course this is what makes this recipe ’spiced’, but it also works perfectly well without the spices and tomato paste... but I have to say it’s better with them! 

Full fat milk: please use full fat here! 

Double cream: gives a more luxurious creamy texture to the sauce, but if needed you can substitute the extra milk for cream. 

Cheddar: I like to use mature cheddar here. 

Mozzarella: gives the sauce a nice thickness! 

And one of my favourite things about macaroni and cheese is how versatile it is, so if you want to add any of your favourite ingredients then go ahead! Some wilted spinach or roasted tomatoes would be delicious. Or if you want a bit of extra protein, rotisserie chicken would work well! 

What to serve this with? 

Side salad, grilled broccoli, garlic bread, corn bread…anything really! 

Instructions 

Prepare the ingredients 

Before starting on the cheese sauce, there’s four things you need to do to help the process! 1) Cook macaroni in generously salted water then drain when fully cooked. 2) Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan. 3) In a measuring jug, mix together the milk and double cream. 4) Mix together all the spices ready for the roux.

Make the roux 

In a large saucepan or an ovenproof skillet, melt butter over a medium heat. Add the flour, tomato paste, and the spices. Cook, whisking regularly, for 2 minutes.

Make the cheese sauce

Gradually add the milk and cream mixture, little by little, stir the milk well into the roux as it is added. As more of the milk is added, the sauce will start to loosen and thin. Once a third to half of the milk has been added and incorporated, add the remaining milk in generous additions. To thicken the sauce, bring it to a simmer and whisk regularly for about 2 minutes, or until it’s thickened to a thick cream like consistency. Add cheese and stir to melt. Then taste and add more salt if needed! 

Assemble the macaroni and cheese then bake

Add the drained macaroni and place mixture into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Finally, there are two options for baking. 

1. If the macaroni and cheese mixture is already warm, you can place it under the grill for about 5 mins until golden (but keep an eye on it!).
2. Alternatively (and this works better if the macaroni and cheese mixture has cooled down or is frozen), bake for about 25 minutes in the oven at 200c/180c fan or until the top is golden and the middle is piping hot. Don't bake too long otherwise you'll bake away the sauce. And that’s everything!

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

1. If fully cooked, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave or in for oven. 
2. If you want to prepare the dish ahead of time - instead of placing it in the oven, let the dish cool then cover with clingfilm and place it in the fridge. When ready, remove the clingfilm and place in the oven and cook as stated in the recipe below. You may need to add a little bit extra onto the cooking time, just make sure the dish is piping hot in the centre! 

Can this be frozen?

Yes! But it’s best to freeze the dish before it’s baked (similar to point 2 above).