Comfort food ideas UK

Macaroni Cheese

A proper cheese sauce, no packet, golden in 40 minutes. Serves 4, about 40 minutes.

Macaroni Cheese - AI-generated illustration

Photo: AI-generated illustration of the dish.

You'll need

  • 300g macaroni
  • 40g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 600ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 150g mature Cheddar, grated
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced

Method

How to make it

  1. Boil

    Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, gas 6). Cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the packet says, then drain.

  2. Sauce

    Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk a little at a time. Keep stirring over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until thick and smooth.

  3. Cheese

    Take it off the heat and stir in the mustard and two-thirds of the cheese until melted, then mix in the macaroni.

  4. Bake

    Tip into an ovenproof dish, lay the tomato slices on top, scatter over the rest of the cheese and bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Food safety

Leftovers: cool, get them into the fridge within 2 hours, eat within 2 days and reheat once until steaming hot.

Shopping list

  • Macaroni 300g
  • Butter 40g
  • Plain flour 40g
  • Semi-skimmed milk 600ml
  • Mature Cheddar 150g
  • English mustard
  • Tomatoes x2

What's in a portion

600kcalCalories (estimated)
24gProtein (estimated)
73gCarbs (estimated)
25gFat (estimated)
15.2gof which saturates (estimated)
10gof which sugars (estimated)

Every figure is an estimate per portion, worked out from UK government food-composition data (CoFID). Your portions and brands will differ, so treat these as a guide. Salt not measured. How our recipes are made.

Allergens

Contains: gluten (pasta, flour), milk, mustard.

Always check the label on anything packaged — recipes and brands vary, and we cannot see your packet.

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