with Crispy Crumb, Spinach and Sriracha Drizzle
Mac and cheese is a crowd-pleasing American dish with a deliciously cheesy sauce. Here, we're using blue cheese to add a strong, tangy cheesiness and stirring through bacon and roasted cauliflower before topping with a crispy crumb for texture and even more flavour.
Allergens
Tags
Mature Cheddar Cheese
40 grams
Crumbled Blue Cheese
30 grams
Breadcrumbs
25 grams
Cauliflower Florets
300 grams
Central American Style Spice Mix
1 sachet(s)
Macaroni
180 grams
Vegetable Stock Paste
15 grams
Creme Fraiche
150 grams
Baby Spinach
100 grams
Sriracha Sauce
15 grams
British Smoked Bacon Lardons
90 grams
Olive Oil for the Crumb
2 tbsp
Butter
20 grams
Plain Flour
2 tbsp
Water for the Sauce
250 milliliter(s)
Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1/2 tsp salt for the pasta.
Grate the Cheddar cheese.
Put the blue cheese and the breadcrumbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil for the crumb (see pantry for amount), then set your blue cheese crumb aside for later.
Halve any large cauliflower florets and pop them into a suitably sized ovenproof. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle over the Central American style spice mix and season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer.
When the oven is hot, roast on the top shelf until golden brown and tender, 15-20 mins. Turn halfway through.
Meanwhile, when your pan of water is boiling, stir in the macaroni and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender, 12 mins.
Once cooked, drain in a colander and pop back into the pan. Drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter (see pantry for amount) in a saucepan on medium-high heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the bacon lardons and stir-fry until golden, 4-5 mins. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw meat. Cook bacon thoroughly.
Stir in the flour (see pantry for amount). Cook, stirring, until it forms a paste, 1-2 mins - you've made a roux!
Gradually stir in the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount) and veg stock paste. Bring to the boil, stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 mins.
Stir in the creme fraiche and add the spinach a handful at a time until wilted and piping hot, 1-2 mins. Remove from the heat.
Add the grated cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
Next, stir the roasted cauli and cooked pasta through the sauce, then pour back into the ovenproof dish.
Turn your grill on to high.
Sprinkle the blue cheese crumb evenly over the top, then grill the mac and cheese on the top shelf of your oven until the crumb is golden, 3-5 mins.
Serve your mac and cheese in bowls with the sriracha sauce drizzled over the top (add less if you'd prefer things milder).
Enjoy!
4898
kJ
Energy (kJ)
1171
kcal
Energy (kcal)
64.2
g
Fat
31.9
g
of which saturates
97.2
g
Carbohydrate
12
g
of which sugars
7.6
g
Dietary Fibre
38.2
g
Protein
4.8
g
Salt