Macaroni Cheese

Macaroni Cheese, the staple diet of countless students across the world. Who would have thought that the simple
combination of pasta and cheese could be such a mouth-watering combination? This recipe is adapted from my mother’s recipe, the perfect comfort food, and cheap too!

Ingredients

• 250g macaroni
• 40g butter
• 40g plain flour
• 600ml milk
• 150g grated mature cheddar cheese
• 100g monteray jack cheese
• 50g grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

1. Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes; drain well and set aside.
2. Next, melt the butter over a low to medium heat in a large saucepan. As the butter starts to gently bubble, add the flour. Be sure to add the flour slowly and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.
3. Now, add in the milk, again gradually, and stirring constantly. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is a thick, smooth and creamy complexion.
4. Remove the sauce from the hob, add half of both the cheddar and monteray jack cheeses and stir until the cheese is well combined and melted into the mixture.
5. Add some salt & pepper to the mixture to taste.
6. Add the macaroni to the sauce and mix well, ensuring all the macaroni is fully coated. Transfer to a deep ovenproof dish.
7. Now sprinkle over all the remaining cheese, as well as the paprika and place the dish under a hot grill. Cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
8. Serve straightaway.

Welsh Rarebit

Welsh Rarebit is one of those ultimate comfort foods, quick and easy to make, but at the same time so morish. But why Rarebit? Apparently it’s pronounced ‘rabbit’, and harks back to eighteenth century England,back in the day, rabbit was the meat you ate if you were poor, but the Welsh were so poverty stricken that even the meagre rabbit was beyond their means. So they ate cheese instead. And when it comes out this good, who could blame them?
Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 100ml of good quality dark British ale
• 350g mature Cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons of English Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 4 slices of fresh thickly sliced bread

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Once melted add the flour and stir constantly until the mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes.
2. Toast the bread.
3. Next add the ale, stirring constantly again until the mixture thickens, which should be 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn down the heat, add the mustard, salt, pepper to taste. Stir the mixture slowly until all the cheese has melted, around 2-3 minutes.
5. Get the toast, and pour the sauce mixture evenly over the bread.
6. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and finish off under the grill for a crispy top.

Serve with grilled tomatoes and salad or with tomato soup.