Macaroni cheese with tomato and cucumber
An American classic and a children's favourite: macaroni in a creamy sauce of mature cheddar, baked under a crisp topping of breadcrumbs and cheese. Serve with tomato and cucumber. Many mix the cheddar with mozzarella, or stir in fried bacon or ham.
- 45 minTime
- 25 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- ≈ 22 krper portion
- 800kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 400 gPasta, macaroni
- 3 tbspButter
- 3 tbspPlain flour
- 6 dlMilk
- 250 gHard cheese, mature cheddar, grated
- 1 mlChili flakes, or cayenne pepper
- to tasteSalt
- 3 ½ tbspBreadcrumbs, ideally panko
On the side
- 3Tomatoes
- ½Cucumber
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 °C. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the macaroni.
- Grate the cheese. Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and let the sauce boil for 3–4 minutes, until it thickens.
- Cook the macaroni for about 6 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the packet says. They should still be a little firm in the middle, as they finish cooking in the oven.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in most of the cheese until melted. Season with the chilli flakes and salt.
- Drain the macaroni, mix it with the cheese sauce and tip it into a greased ovenproof dish, about 20 × 30 cm. Mix the breadcrumbs with the rest of the cheese and sprinkle over.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 15–20 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the cucumber into sticks while the dish is in the oven.
- Let it stand for a couple of minutes and serve with the tomato and cucumber.
The cost is estimated from Swedish grocery prices.
