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Big Mike’s Mac ’n’ Cheese
Serves 6 to 8 Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Total 30 min Type Meal Origin Cajun

Big Mike’s Mac ’n’ Cheese

A Cajun take on mac and cheese: macaroni baked in a cheddar-and-cream sauce spiked with Cajun seasoning.

Serves 6 Prep 10 minutes Cook 20 minutes Units Rate

Overview

The Cajun take on mac and cheese, with the Southern heat dial turned up to where you'd expect at a Louisiana cookout. You build a creamy béchamel base, fold in sharp white cheddar with a generous splash of hot sauce and a hit of Cajun seasoning, then toss the lot through hot pasta until every shape is coated. The whole thing goes into a baking dish, gets a topping of more grated cheese, and slides under a hot grill until the top is bubbling and freckled deep gold. Eaten as a side at a barbecue or as the centre of a weeknight plate with a green salad and a beer. Comfort food with backbone.

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 1 lb (450 g) elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Dairy and binders

  • 60 g (¼ cup) butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 240 ml evaporated milk
  • 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
  • 100 g (1 cup) white cheddar (sharp), plus extra for topping

Seasonings

  • 2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • salt
  • pepper

Method

Stage 1 - Preheat and prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
  2. Grease a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33 cm) casserole dish.

Stage 2 - Mix ingredients

  1. In large bowl, combine macaroni, butter, egg, evaporated milk, dry mustard, hot sauce, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.
  2. Mix well.

Stage 3 - Bake

  1. Pour into casserole dish; bake uncovered 20 mins.

Stage 4 - Grill topping

  1. Add extra cheese; grill a few mins for golden brown crust.

Notes

  • Use sharp Cheddar for best flavor.
  • Adjust hot sauce for desired spice level.
  • Can add cooked bacon or sausage for protein.

Serving

  • Serve hot as side dish or main with greens.
  • Garnish with extra hot sauce or herbs.

Storage

  • Refrigerate leftovers 3-4 days in airtight container.
  • Reheat in oven at 175°C until bubbly.
  • Freezes well; thaw and reheat covered to avoid drying.

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Welsh Rarebit

Welsh Rarebit

The Welsh take on cheese on toast, and a substantially better dish than the name suggests. You build a thick cheese sauce from a roux of butter and flour cooked together, ale and milk whisked in to loosen, then mature cheddar melted in with mustard and a hit of Worcestershire. The mixture should be thick enough to spread with a spoon, not pour. Pile it onto thick-cut toasted bread (white or wholemeal, never sourdough), and slide under a hot grill until the top is bubbling and freckled with gold. Eaten standing at the kitchen counter while it's still too hot, with a pickle or a glass of cold ale on the side. The Welsh have always taken cheese seriously; this is the simplest argument for why.

British 20 minutes Serves2