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How is that for a title ? Jamie Oliver named this recipe “A Killer Mac and Cheese” in his Jamie’s America cookbook. Mac and cheese is indeed a classic American pasta dish. Everyone loves it, including my daughter. How can you not.
As shared by Jamie in his cookbook, “Sometimes it’s done so badly in the convenience area, it’s almost become famous for being horrible, but when you do it properly, trust me, it’s an absolute killer”
I like mac and cheese and after trying this recipe out, mac and cheese with fresh tomatoes and crunchy bread crumbs as topping, not to mention the flavorful bay leaf, seriously, this mac and cheese is so good. Please give it a try and I’m pretty positive that you will like it. My daughter who never liked mac and cheese before absolutely loves this killer mac and cheese.
A KILLER MAC AND CHEESE
Ingredients
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ Tbsp of butter
- 1 ½ heaping Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 5 cloves garlic , peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 4 fresh tomatoes
- ¾ cups grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme , leaves picked
- One splash of Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1-2 big handful of fresh bread crumbs
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Get a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan, or Dutch oven, over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to mediu, stirring all the time, until you get a paste - this is your roux
- Add all the sliced garlic - don't worry about the amount, because each slice will caramelize like toffee in the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky. Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally. Preheat your oven to 425 F
- Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook following the package instructions. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes on a board and season them well with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheeses, chopped tomatoes, and some of the thyme leaves. A little Worcestershire sauce added now is nice, and so is a little grating or two of nutmeg
- Taste it and season it until it's hitting the right spot for you. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed
- If you've made your sauce in a Dutch oven, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish. Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden, bubbling, crispy, and delicious
- While it's cooking, put your bread crumbs and remaining thyme into a frying pan with a few drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Stir and toss the crumbs around until crunchy and golden all over. Remove from the heat and tip into a nice bowl. Serve your mac and cheese with your bowl of crispy bread crumbs for sprinkling over, and a lovely green salad if you like
