While perhaps not the comfort food we grew up with here in Ireland, folks in America had mac and cheese as a staple while we were still hugging bowls of coddle and Irish stew. I’m not suggesting we replace those classics with this stodgy pasta concoction from overseas but when I’m craving calorific comfort the mac & cheese recipe here emboldened with a chorizo sausage crumble is a winner. It can of course be eaten straight from the pot once you’ve folded cooked pasta through the rich cheese sauce but the baked alternative yields a fairly irresistible golden crust that’s worth the extra time in the oven.
9oz macaroni
1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 fresh bay leaf
2oz plain flour
23fl oz whole milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
150g cheddar cheese, grated
10g parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
5oz cooking chorizo, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
3.5oz white bread, torn into small pieces or crumbs
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Green leaf salad, to serve
250g macaroni
75g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 fresh bay leaf
60g plain flour
700ml whole milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
150g cheddar cheese, grated
10g parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
150g cooking chorizo, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
100g white bread, torn into small pieces or crumbs
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Green leaf salad, to serve
Large Pan
Large Ovenproof dish