Macaroni Cheese
Cowbridge Kitchen
About This Recipe
This pasta recipe is often overlooked as an Italian Pasta dish but Macaroni Cheese tastes great and you can change the flavour depending on the cheese you use.
Mac and Cheese as it has become known is a great way of using up that left over pasta and a delicious alternative to the standard pasta bake.
In America it is called Mac and cheese or Macaroni Pie and can be served as a stand alone meal or with some Cheesy Garlic bread.
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Macaroni and cheese, often affectionately referred to as "mac and cheese," has a rich history that traces back to the 18th century.
Its origins can be linked to Italy, where pasta dishes were first combined with cheese, but it gained significant popularity in England and later in America.
The earliest known recipe for a dish resembling macaroni and cheese appeared in a 1769 cookbook by Elizabeth Raffald, which included a simple combination of macaroni and a cheese sauce. However, it was in the United States that the dish truly flourished, especially during the 19th century when it became a staple in American households.
The introduction of processed cheese in the 1930s made it even more accessible and convenient, leading to the mass production of boxed mac and cheese, which became a beloved comfort food during the Great Depression.
Over the years, this dish has evolved, with countless variations emerging, from gourmet versions featuring truffle oil and lobster to classic homemade recipes passed down through generations, solidifying its place as a cherished culinary tradition.
25 mins Prep time
1 hr Cooking time
Time
This is based on 1 serving
198g portion (1/4)
Calories: 341
Protein: 15g
Fat: 14g
Carbohydrates: 37g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 3g
Nutrition
Servings
Anybody can have a go at this recipe, even a novice cook
Difficulty
* This recipe is vegetarian if you leave the bacon out *
Cost to make:
£7.72 / $9.77(Est.)
Equipment:
Shop...
Cheese Grater,
What is Macaroni Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese is a dish of cooked pasta in a cheese sauce. There are many versions of this recipe but the first recorded appearance of the Macaroni and Cheese recipe was in a cook book dated 1824.
The modern day version of this recipe has becom known as 'Mac and Cheese' or Macaroni Pie in the US and is a popular childrens dish in many pubs and restaurants.
Mac and Cheese is so popular in the USA that July 14th has been branded as 'National Macaroni and Cheese Day.'
Cuisine:British
ingredients
80 g of Homemade Breadcrumbs
60 g Butter (Melted)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Onion Granules
For The Cheese Sauce
50 g Butter
50 g Plain Flour
750 ml Milk
175 g Cheddar Cheese (Strong)
175 g Other Cheese
150 g Smoked Streaky Bacon (Optional)
250 g Dry Macaroni or Other Pasta
20 g Butter
Cooking Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in boiling water for 10 minutes , until just cooked. Drain into a colander and add the butter. Mix in with a fork then set aside.
- Cook the bacon in a cooking pot until it is golden brown. You don't need any oil as the bacon will produce it's own fat.
- Add the Butter to the pot then mix in the flour to form a Roux.
- Add the warm milk and whisk together with the roux to form a thick sauce.
- Add all of the cheese to the sauce then remove from the heat. You do not need to melt the cheese at this stage.
- Now you can add your cooked macaroni or other dry pasta to the sauce and mix together so that all of the pasta is covered.
- You can now empty the mixture into an oven dish , and let it cool down for 5 minutes.
- Add the onion granules to the breadcrumbs and mix in.
- Add the melted butter to the breadcrumbs and mix with a fork so that all of the breadcrumbs are coated. If you need to use more butter that is fine , as long as all of the breadcrumbs are covered.
- Tip the breadcrumbs over the Macaroni Cheese and spread evenly so as to cover the whole dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 c for 25 - 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
You can be a bit experimental with this recipe, I have used breadcrumbs as a crunchy topping but you can leave it plain if you prefer.
There is such a choice of cheese you can use in this recipe, and it will change the flavour of the dish.
I have listed a few for you to try
Cheddar Cheese
50% Stilton Cheese
Edam Cheese
Double Gloucester
