How to make mac & cheese

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Low-fat cheese reduces calories while maintaining flavor.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: evaporated milk

Almond milk is lower in calories, while evaporated milk is often cheaper.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier, while margarine is often less expensive.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Romano cheese

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free, while Romano is often cheaper.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the flour and then the mustard. Cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and is grainy.

Reduce the heat to low, then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.

Cook, stirring, for five minutes or until the sauce boils and thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and stir to combine.

Spoon into a baking dish.

For the basic mac 'n' cheese, sprinkle with a mixture of breadcrumbs and parmesan.

For pulled beef mac 'n' cheese, add pulled beef, kidney beans, corn, and taco seasoning to the macaroni mixture.

For bacon mac 'n' cheese, fry bacon for five minutes, then add it to the macaroni mixture with spring onion.

For balsamic onion mac 'n' cheese, fry onion and bacon in butter with garlic for 15 minutes, then add sugar and balsamic. Cook until caramelised and season.

Add the balsamic onion mixture to the macaroni mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Serve the pulled beef mac 'n' cheese topped with sour cream, jalapeños, cherry tomato, and coriander.

Finish the balsamic onion mac 'n' cheese with a sprinkle of parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens