Who loves macaroni cheese? Macaroni 3 ways!

In this house we all do! It’s a firm favourite of my son’s and he’d eat it every week if I’d cook it. For me it is enjoyable occasionally, but it’s pretty beige! The top two versions bring it to life a bit and add some veggies! At the bottom you will find my cheat’s version for when I’m really in a hurry!

Cheesy Roasted Butternut Squash Rigatoni

This version has cream in it, so it’s quite heavy, but delicious! I added half the amount of each cheese and it was plenty! I also used low salt vegetable bouillon as cheesy dishes are very salty.

https://www.simplyscratch.com/2012/11/cheesy-roasted-butternut-squash-rigatoni.html

Save time by cutting your squash in two lengthways and roasting it (skin and all) until cooked through. You can do this the day before and then all you have to do is blend it for this recipe.

Classic Macaroni cheese with added veg

This version is something I kinda threw together. I added spinach and courgette to the pasta whilst it was boiling.

I then made my cheesy white sauce and stirred it into the pasta and veg once they were cooked and drained.

Topped with slices of tomato and cheese before grilling until golden brown.

That’s 3 added veg!

For added protein you could stir hard boiled egg, tuna or haricot beans into the mix as well.

For the cheesy sauce recipe see below!

Cheesy sauces for macaroni cheese

I'm including two versions here. The “proper” way and my cheats way!

Bechamel sauce i.e. Proper cheesy white sauce (can be used for lasagne or cauliflower cheese as well)

Ingredients

425 ml milk (semi-skimmed or full-fat OR you can use a plant-based such as oat or soya)

25g plain flour

50g unsalted butter or dairy-free spread

pepper to season

approx. 50g cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Heat your milk in a jug in the microwave for 2 mins or in a saucepan (don’t let boil). You can add a bay leaf to it for added flavour if you have one.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan (don't over-heat it or let it brown),

3. Once the butter has melted, take off the heat and add the flour. Whisk until combined and formed a smooth paste.

4. Now begin adding the milk a little at a time. Whisk after each addition to ensure the butter and flour paste if fully combined and not stuck to the edges of the pan.

5. When all the milk is incorporated, whisk briskly. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes, whisking regularly, until thickened.

6. Season with black pepper.

7. Add grated cheese and use a wooden spoon to stir until the cheese has melted.

8. Your sauce is now ready to pour over cooked pasta for your macaroni cheese!

Cheats cheese sauce for macaroni

This method I use when I am cooking a super quick version for the kids when I have zero time!

The quantities used here is enough for my two, but if you are cooking more pasta, you will need to increase the amounts. I tend to judge this by sight on the day.

After boiling and draining my pasta (about 125g dried pasta), I place it back in the pan and then add:

• A heaped tablespoon of full-fat cream cheese

• A tablespoon of milk

• A handful of grated cheese

Simply stir until the cheese has melted and everything has combined and voila, it’s done!

I tend to serve this version with raw veggies on the side such as cucumber, carrot, pepper, tomatoes.