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Chorizo Crumble Mac & Cheese | DonalSkehan.com
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Chorizo Crumble Mac & Cheese

October 17

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.

  • serves Serves 4
  • time 45mins

Method

  1. 1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the macaroni and cook until al dente, for about 12 minutes.
  2. 2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Grease a large ovenproof dish with butter.
  3. 3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium high heat with the bay leaf and then whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes and then gradually pour in the milk. Continuously whisk until the mixture comes to a steady simmer and continue to cook until you have a thick sauce.
  4. 4. Add the mustard, nutmeg, plenty of seasoning and most of the cheese. Mix through until the cheese has melted.
  5. 5. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in the pot and mix through until everything is combined.
  6. 6. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the chorizo until it has released its oil and is starting to crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon then add the garlic and bread and fry until the crumbs are golden. Drain on kitchen towel then toss with the crispy chorizo.
  7. 7. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the dish then scatter over the chorizo crumb and the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad.

Ingredients

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

You'll Need

Large Pan

Large Ovenproof dish