We’re back with another Peperami recipe, and this time it’s a twist on a classic. Mac ‘n’ Cheese is a true staple. Happy… sad… hungover… it’s the perfect meal for all occasions. But you know me, I’m all for a bit of meat, and making a Mac’ with only cheese doesn’t quite cut the mustard. I want all the trimmings, all the toppings, and of course a whole lot of Peperami in the mix.

So, we’ve created the ultimate, special Mac ‘n’ Cheese. It’s got (almost) all of the food groups – carbs, check. Dairy, check. Fruit? Tomatoes are a fruit. Protein? OOH YEAH. Veg? I’m not entirely sure what that is. Whip this up with minimal effort and feel like a proper master chef.

Recipe:

Serves 4

Main ingredients
250g macaroni spirals
2-3 Peperami (flavour of your choice) sliced in 3 mm slices
10 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters

For the sauce

  • 1 pint of milk
  • 3 tablespoons of plain flour
  • 40g butter
  • 2 garlic clove crushed
  • 150g mature cheddar
  • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • Extra grated cheese for the top

Method:

1. Cook the macaroni as per instructions on the packet.

2. Whilst the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan on a low heat. Once melted stir in the flour and continue stirring for 1 minute.

3. Add the milk gradually and whisk continuously until you have a nice thick sauce. This should take about three minutes.

4. Stir in the grated cheese, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard and season with black pepper and a little salt.

5. Drain the macaroni and put into a large ovenproof dish. Pour over the cheese sauce, add the sliced Peperami and cherry tomatoes and stir until well mixed.

6. Add a little grated cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180̊ C.

Want to make it extra special?

Add chopped spinach leaves, sweet corn, cooked peas or cooked mushrooms for some extra green and leafy vegetable goodness.

AND for a crunchy topping, mix the grated cheese with bread crumbs made from two pieces of bread

Now that’s what we call special Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

Discover more Peperami Recipes here.