Baked mac and cheese
Recipe for gooey baked mac & cheese – perfect as a side dish for all kinds of meat, or on its own for the true cheese lover.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Mac and cheese
- 380 g pasta – macaroni, small soup pasta or similar
- 1 l whole milk
- 200 g cheddar (preferably from a block, not pre-grated), coarsely grated
- 100 g firm aged cheese – Prima Donna, Vesterhavsost (Danish aged hard cheese), mature Gouda or similar, coarsely grated
- 60 g butter
- 75 ml plain flour
- Salt and pepper
- Chilli powder (optional)
Topping
- 100 g cheddar (preferably from a block, not pre-grated), coarsely grated
- 100 g grated mozzarella
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour – let it cook through for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in the milk a little at a time, whisking thoroughly so the sauce is completely smooth.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 min., until it thickens slightly. Stir regularly so it doesn't catch on the bottom.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente, drain it and then rinse it under cold running water. This removes some of the starch, so the sauce doesn't turn gluey. Do make sure the pasta is still wet when you fold it into the sauce.
- Stir both cheeses into the sauce and heat through until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper and add a little chilli powder if you like.
- Turn off the heat and fold the pasta into the sauce.
- Pour half of the pasta into a greased ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with half of both topping cheeses, then pour the rest of the pasta over. Spread the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake your mac and cheese in a preheated oven at 200°C, conventional (top and bottom heat), for about 20-25 min. or until golden and bubbling on top.