Food Network UK

Colorado river of cheese and macaroni

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Ingredients

  • For the macaroni cheese:

  • Bechamel sauce, recipe follows
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1kg shredded mature Cheddar cheese, divided (aged no more than 30 days as a longer aged cheese can make the sauce oily)
  • 250g Technique: Grate Shredding a large ingredient to produce small, evenly-sized morsels. You can grate ingredients using a grating disc fitted inside your food processor. I know this Teach me, please grated Asiago cheese, divided
  • 125g Technique: Grate Shredding a large ingredient to produce small, evenly-sized morsels. You can grate ingredients using a grating disc fitted inside your food processor. I know this Teach me, please grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1kg elbow macaroni

  • For the bechamel sauce:

  • 225g Technique: Using Butter You could replace butter with Stork margarine. It's easy to use and comes in blocks, tubs and liquid for any kind of dish from sweet baking to savoury meals. I know this Tell me more butter , room temperature, divided
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely Technique: Dicing Cutting a larger piece of food into even cube-shaped pieces. I know this Teach me, please diced
  • 2.5L whole milk
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Technique: Grate Shredding a large ingredient to produce small, evenly-sized morsels. You can grate ingredients using a grating disc fitted inside your food processor. I know this Teach me, please grated nutmeg
  • 75g plain flour

Use imperial measurements

Method

How to make Colorado river of cheese and macaroni

For the macaroni cheese:
1) Bring the bechamel sauce to a simmer over a low heat. Add the white wine and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard, paprika, and salt and pepper.

2) Gradually add the cheeses, reserving about 50g of each cheese for the top of the casserole. Stir the sauce thoroughly between each addition of the cheese. Simmer until the cheese is well blended.

3) Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the elbow macaroni and cook to al dente. Drain. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.

4) In a large casserole dish (or in several smaller dishes) add 1cm of the warm cheese sauce. Fill the casserole with the drained elbow macaroni. Top with another layer of cheese sauce, covering the macaroni completely and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

5) Bake the macaroni until the top is brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the casserole dish.

6) Remove from the oven and serve hot.

For the bechamel sauce:
1) In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 110g of the Technique: Using Butter You could replace butter with Stork margarine. It's easy to use and comes in blocks, tubs and liquid for any kind of dish from sweet baking to savoury meals. I know this Tell me more butter and add the onion. Saute until very soft, but do not brown.

2) In another saucepan, scald the milk. Stir the sauteed onions into the milk along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

3) Make a blonde roux by mixing the remaining 110g of Technique: Using Butter You could replace butter with Stork margarine. It's easy to use and comes in blocks, tubs and liquid for any kind of dish from sweet baking to savoury meals. I know this Tell me more butter and the flour in a small bowl. Add the roux to the simmering milk and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Cook's note: The bechamel sauce can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore we cannot make any representation as to the results.