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Chilli Mac n’ Cheese

 

Pure indulgence best describes a bowl of Mac n’ Cheese and this particular recipe adds a surprising twist to the traditional dish. In all honesty I very rarely make Mac n’ Cheese for the family, but every once in a blue moon I crave it. And it always goes down a treat.

 

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce:

50g butter

50g flour

1 cup milk

1 cup thickened cream

50g d’affinois, roughly chopped

100g cheddar, roughly chopped

50g mozzarella, roughly chopped

Crispy Prosciutto:

200g piece prosciutto, finely sliced

 

Chilli Sauce:

3 long red chillies, de-seeded

3 garlic cloves

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp soy sauce

 

Pasta:

Macaroni pasta

 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Start by making a roux for the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and use a spatula to stir. Make sure to stir quickly until a smooth paste is formed. Continue to cook the paste, stirring continuously, for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Next add the milk and stir. Add the cream and stir well to combine. Continue to cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.
  4. Now it’s time to stir in the cheeses. Add each cheese one by one, stirring well after each until smooth. Adjust the consistency with extra cream to loosen if required. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper then set the sauce aside until needed.
  5. For the Crispy Prosciutto, place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the slices of prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside on paper towel to cool. Break up into small pieces and set aside until needed.
  6. For the Chilli Sauce, place all ingredients into a food processor and blitz to a coarse purée. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally until reduced to a jam-like consistency, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.
  7. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan. Add the macaroni when the water is boiling and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  8. To serve, bring all the elements together in a bowl and it’s ready for serving.

 

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