Macaroni Cheese

My mother gave me this recipe when I was very young and asked me to keep it safe for the family.  I wrote it into my cookbook and now the page it is on is covered in old food.  You can tell that this will be the first page to fall out.  And get lost.  And then my Mum really would kill me.  So here it is; my tribute to Mums Macaroni Cheese.

2 TB butter

1/2 onion (or 2 spring onions) (optional)

2 TB flour

1/2 tsp dry mustard/ big squirt of mustard sauce (to taste)

2 cups milk

Salt

Pepper

Pinch of paprika (optional)

2 cups grated cheese (more is recommended)

2 cups macaroni, cooked, any sort (up to 3 cups can be used though)

Tomato, sliced (optional)

Handful chopped bacon or ham (optional)

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 190°c.  Do this first!

2. Melt butter in pot, add onion and cook until clear.

3. Stir in four and cook until frothy.  Careful it doesn’t burn - DON’T WALK OFF!  Add milk slowly, stirring constantly until sauce boils and thickens.  Mush up any flour lumps and DON’T LEAVE IT, or you will have a huge mess to clean.  Boiled over milk - not good!!

4. Remove from heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in half the cheese (yum, cheese!).  Add the macaroni and any bacon or ham.  Stir to combine.

5. Pour mixture into ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle over remaining cheese and any tomato or paprika you wish.  Cover with breadcrumbs.

6. Cook for 20 minutes until golden.  Grill top for five minutes if desired.

And there you have it.  Don’t forget that it can be frozen (popped in a tied up bag) and zapped in the microwave for an easy, easy future meal. 

The recipe is great if you have no $$.  The bare bones of it are pretty easy to find, the most costly item being the cheese.  It also makes a great starving flat dinner.  $3 each people!!