Three Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese
730g
790
CO2
18%
kcal
34%
Protein
48%
Fat
Carbs
Vegetarian
If you have never tried home cooked mac n’ cheese we urge you to try this recipe. The dish is so much better when cooked and eaten fresh. Restaurants often refrigerate and reheat mac & cheese but this causes the pasta to absorb all the moisture and flavor of the cheese sauce making the dish dry and bland. Our fresh version uses nutty gruyere cheese sauce and is topped with a delightfully crispy crumb - we guarantee you will be coming back for more.
Climate Kitchen Hacks: Mac & Cheese is one of the best comfort foods out there, but it does contain lots of dairy. Our recipe switches a portion of the semi-soft cheese for a smaller amount of very strong flavored hard cheese like parmesan and gruyere. This maintains the creamy texture, adds extra flavor, but reduces the carbon footprint, calories, and fat. The same serving size has a 25% lower carbon footprint, 5% fewer calories, and 30% less fat than a regular mac and cheese.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (30g) gruyere cheese, finely grated/shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp (20g) parmesan, finely grated/shredded
3 tbsp (20g) breadcrumbs
6 sprays olive oil
A handful of chopped cherry tomatoes/spring/green onions/basil leaves, to serve (optional)
12 oz (350g) elbow macaroni
2 tbsp (30g) butter
3 tbsp (45g) sauce flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 cups (480ml) semi-skimmed milk
1 1/2 cup (180g) grated/shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp mustard powder
Assemble, measure, and prepare the ingredients.
Cook the macaroni according to package instructions leaving a little bite to it (al dente). Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt the butter over a low heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up as this will burn the flour). Add the flour 1 tbsp at a time and stir with a wooden spoon until all incorporated. Continue stirring for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture turns slightly golden.
Next, slowly pour the milk into the flour mix, first 1 tbsp at a time, then you can gradually add bigger and bigger portions - stir constantly. Keep the heat low or the mix will split and flour burn (if the mix splits into lumps you can sprinkle over a little more flour and stir like crazy to recover the smooth paste). The mix will turn very thick like mashed potato as you first add the milk and then end up like a thin custard consistency.
Once all the milk has been added, stir in the cheddar cheese, mustard powder, gruyere cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook on low until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Preheat the broiler/grill to medium hot.
Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and spray over 6 sprays of olive oil, mixing between each spray to make a crumb.
Once the cheese sauce is ready, add to the cooked macaroni pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to a heat proof dish, sprinkle over the breadcrumb crumb and grated parmesan and place under the grill/broiler until the breadcrumbs turn golden.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of chopped green/spring onion, cherry tomato, or basil on top.
Enjoy!
Instructions:
