Daisy's macaroni cheese

Daisy's macaroni cheese

With bacon breadcrumbs

With bacon breadcrumbs

Serves 6

Cooks In1 hour

DifficultyNot too tricky

Nutrition per serving

• Calories 699 35%

• Fat 41.2g 59%

• Saturates 18.6g 93%

• Sugars 9.8g 11%

• Salt 1.3g 22%

• Protein 22.8g 46%

• Carbs 63.2g 24%

• Fibre 2.7g -

Of an adult's reference intake

Ingredients

• 250 g portobello mushrooms
• 100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• ½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
• olive oil
• 3 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
• 70 g breadcrumbs
• ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (15g)
• 300 g dried macaroni
• 80 g unsalted butter
• 80 g plain flour
• 1 litre whole milk
• 50 g Cheddar cheese
• 50 g Emmental cheese
• 50 g Gruyère cheese
• higher-welfare chipolata sausages , optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Finely slice the mushrooms and tomatoes, and pick the thyme leaves. Place in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden and cooked down, then remove to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat.
3. Slice the bacon into thin strips and cook in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil to the pan, scatter in the breadcrumbs, then pick, finely chop and stir in the parsley. Cook for 1 further minute, tossing regularly, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
5. Cook the macaroni in a pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes (it will continue to cook in the oven), then drain.
6. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Slowly add the milk to the pan, splash-by-splash, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps, then switch the heat off.
7. Grate the cheeses into the sauce, seasoning with a big pinch of black pepper, then stir in the macaroni.
8. Transfer half the macaroni to a 20cm x 28cm baking dish, then layer over half the tomatoes and mushrooms. Repeat the layers, then top with the bacon breadcrumbs.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. If you’re going all out, now is a good time to cook the chipolatas according to packet instructions.
10. Leave the macaroni cheese to stand for a few minutes before serving alongside the golden chipolatas, if using.