CARAMELISED LEEK & MUSTARD MACARONI CHEESE

Macaroni cheese always reminds me of my mum. She wasn’t someone who loved to cook, but she knew exactly how to make a good mac and cheese. Hers came with mustard, peas and ham, unfussy, but spot on.

This is my take on it: two kinds of mustard, and a generous amount of cheese, exactly as it should be.

Caramelising the leeks brings a deep, gentle sweetness to the sauce, which folds beautifully into the richness of the cheese – comfort food at its best.

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CARAMELISED LEEK & MUSTARD MACARONI CHEESE

Nothing beats the smell of bubbling cheese – this is one for seconds. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 80 g unsalted butter
• 2 large leeks cleaned & finely sliced
• 250 g macaroni
• olive oil
• 40 g plain flour
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 700 ml whole milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 100 g gruyere finely grated
• 100 g cheddar finely grated
• 75 g smoked cheddar finely grated
• 30 g cream cheese
• 85 g stale bread (about 1 large slice), torn into chunks
• 6 sprigs thyme leaves picked
• 30 g parmesan finely grated
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Start with the leeks. Melt 20g of the butter in large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the leeks and a good pinch of salt and fry for 15-20 minutes, or until very soft and gently caramelised. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente (1-2 minutes less than the cooking time on its packet). Drain, then return it to its pot, drizzle with a little olive oil and stir well to combine. This will stop the pasta shapes from sticking together.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°c (fan-assisted).
4. Meanwhile, you can make the cheese sauce. Melt the remaining butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and English mustard powder and whisk vigorously to form a paste; continue to whisk for a minute or so, to cook off the flour.
5. Next, pour a little of the milk into the pan and whisk energetically until completely smooth. Then repeat this step, adding small amounts of the liquid and whisking until smooth, until you have a silky, creamy sauce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for 6-8 minutes, until thickened and glossy (we are looking for a sauce with the consistency of double cream). Remove from the heat, then stir through the Dijon mustard, gruyere, cheddar, smoked cheddar and cream cheese, until mostly melted. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
6. To make the thyme breadcrumb, combine the stale bread, thyme and a good pinch of salt and black pepper in a food processor. Blitz into chunky breadcrumb consistency.
7. Add the cooked macaroni and softened leeks to the cheese sauce, and stir well to combine. Pour into an ovenproof dish (or keep it in the pan it’s in, if it is ovenproof), and scatter with the thyme breadcrumbs, then the grated parmesan. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling at the edges. Leave it to sit for five minutes, before tucking in.

If you’re looking for another leeky, cheesey recipe, then you’ll love my Leek Gruyere & Parmesan Tart. Or, for more recipe inspiration, check out my Instagram.