Basic Baked Mac and Cheese, a good ole staple.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Total cook time 70 minutes
250g dried Macaroni Elbows, cooked in 2L salted boiling water and drained (15 min to come to boil, boil for 30 minutes)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 pinch dry mustard
1 pinch salt
2 cups milk
100 g ham
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
In a medium saucepan, melt butter, then stir in the flour, mustard and salt. Gradually stir in the milk with a spatula or whisk.
Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly (mixture should coat spoon).
Remove from heat. Add ham, then cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
Stir in cooked macaroni.
Turn into greased 1 1/2 litre (1 1/2-quart) shallow baking dish.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs before dotting with the butter.
Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly. Refrigerate leftovers.
VARIATIONS: Add any of the following to macaroni before baking:
1 220g (7-ounce) can tuna or salmon, drained and flaked OR
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey OR
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham or luncheon meat OR
250g (1/2 pound) frankfurters, sliced diagonally into fourths OR
250g (1/2 pound) sliced smoked sausage OR
1 315g (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli or spinach, thawed and well drained OR
2 tablespoons each chopped onion and pimiento. Top with cornflake crumbs.
TIP: To double recipe to make 10 to 12 servings, use 1 500g (1-pound) package Macaroni Elbows, 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup unsifted flour, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, 4 cups milk and 4 cups (1 pound) shredded Cheddar cheese. Proceed as above; combine in large bowl. Turn into greased 3-quart shallow baking dish (13×9-inch) OR 2 1 1/2 litre (1 1/2-quart) shallow baking dishes. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
Or, casserole can be tightly covered and frozen unbaked. To bake frozen macaroni and cheese, preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Bake frozen casserole, uncovered, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until bubbly and hot in centre.