With love, From Scratch
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
500ml milk
Extra mature cheddar (to taste, but the more, the better)
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt & pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
350g macaroni
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 200C or 180 fan.
2. Fill a pan with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the macaroni, cook until al dente (approx 2 mins less than stated on the pack) and drain.
3. Melt the butter in your pan. Let it brown slightly to give it a bit of a nutty taste.
4. Add the flour and whisk into the melted butter until it forms a paste.
5. On low to medium heat, pour in the milk gradually. Keep whisking the paste until all the lumps are gone. As the mixture is heated, it will thicken. DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Milk boiled = milk spoiled.
6. Season healthily with salt and pepper and add nutmeg and mustard powder.
7. Add as much cheese as your broken heart desires. I will put in almost half a block because the cheesier the better but it’s chef’s choice.
8. Pour the cheesy bechamel over the pasta and place in an oven safe dish. Add extra cheese on top for the crispy layer. You can also add breadcrumbs to make it even crispier.
9. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes.