Recipe: Macaroni Cheese

I expect that every family has their own take on the classic dish that is macaroni cheese. It's simple, tasty, cheap, and very easy to make. Some people add bacon, or roasted tomatoes- some versions even include beef, or red wine! Had a disastrous attempt at making one about a month ago using red wine and smoked bacon- actually ended up tasting revolting- Cheers metro recipes for making me waste a load of nice ingredients! My mum makes a really nice version with mushrooms, and cheese sauce made with wholemeal flour, thats very interesting too. This version has three different cheeses in it, which I think just gives it a great savoury edge (but lets not think about the calorie count, ey!). I served this with some delicious new season asparagus, just steamed with a bit of lemon butter on top.

Macaroni Cheese
250g macaroni
40g butter
40g flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed garlic
100g grated red leister cheese
15g finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
100g grated cheddar

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Cook the macaroni in boiling water, according to it’s packet instructions. Meanwhile, make the white sauce (like you would normally) with all the other ingredients, except the cheddar cheese.
2. Drain the macaroni and add it to the cheese sauce. Stir to combine well, season to taste, and pour into a large baking dish. Top with the cheddar cheese, bake in the oven for 30 minutes, and then serve!