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Yvonne's Ultimate Macaroni Cheese

Scroll down to find out how you can make Yvonne's comforting macaroni cheese with a side of homemade garlic bread!

Ingredients (Serves 4-6 people):

Cauliflower Mac n Cheese:

  • 500g Wholemeal macaroni pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour
  • 1-2 pints of milk
  • 250g Red Leicester cheese, grated
  • 100g Mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 3 large tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 small cauliflower, chopped into florets

Crispy Breadcrumb Topping:

  • 2-3 slices of (frozen) bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs
  • (Optional) Crushed tortilla chips

±«Óãtvmade Garlic Bread:

  • 6 slices of bread
  • 6 tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • â…› teaspoon sea salt

Method:

For the Macaroni Cheese:

  1. Boil the macaroni pasta in a large pan and set aside about ½ an inch of the pasta water to be used later.
  2. To blanch the cauliflower, bring a pan of water to the boil. Prepare a bowl of iced water and a tray / plate lined with kitchen paper.
  3. Cut your cauliflower into little florets and place them in the boiling water to blanch for roughly 2 minutes, depending on the size – remember to use the stem too!
  4. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the bowl of iced water.
  5. Then, place on the tray / plate lined with kitchen paper to drain excess water so that they’re ready to add into your macaroni mixture.
  6. In a medium cooking pan, add two large knobs of butter. Melt it, then add 2 heaped tbsp of cornflour. Mix together quickly with a wooden spoon or whisk.
  7. Then slowly add 1-2 pints milk in the pan.
  8. Keep on stirring / whisking until creamy. Add your reserved pasta water at this stage.
  9. Grate Red Leicester cheese (250g), and Mozzarella cheese (100g). Add into your sauce and leave some reserved for cheese toppings.
  10. Mix the cheese sauce and the cooked drained macaroni pasta together, along with your cauliflower florets.
  11. Slice 3 large ripe tomatoes into thin slices and assemble them flat on top of the macaroni cheese.

For the (Optional!) Crispy Breadcrumb topping:

  1. Blend 2 or 3 slices of bread (frozen bread works great!) into breadcrumbs.
  2. You could also use crushed tortilla crisps on top too.
  3. Sprinkle on top of the macaroni cheese with reserved cheese topping too for an extra crunch.
  4. Bake the finished dish in the oven for 10 minutes on 180 degrees, or if you're reheating a ready-made version from then fridge, pop it in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Alternatively, if you want to bake it in the air-fryer, just halve the cooking time!

For the ±«Óãtvmade Garlic Bread:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, ensuring the top rack is not too close to the ceiling.
  2. Mix the softened butter, chopped parsley and crushed garlic cloves together.
  3. Spread the mixture on both sides of each piece of sliced bread.
  4. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil; flip after 3 minutes or until evenly toasted.
  5. Slice and serve (or serve whole!).

Yvonne’s Top Tips:

  • You can bake the cauliflower florets on a large baking tray instead of blanching. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice (I'd recommend sweet paprika), bake for about 20 minutes, and then add them into your cooked macaroni mixture.
  • If your cheese sauce is too thick, add more milk. If it is too watery, mix cornflour with a little bit of water then add into the pan.
  • You could add broccoli to this dish for extra veg, pulled pork for protein, and a dash of chilli sauce / chilli flakes if you like it spicy!
  • You could add mustard into the cheese sauce.
  • If you can't wait, there's no need to bake or air-fry your macaroni cheese. Just add your breadcrumb topping and dig in!
  • If you want to make the garlic bread in the air fryer, just pop them in the drawer for about 1 and a half minutes before checking and flipping.