Christmas leftovers macaroni cheese
Combine your Christmas (or any roast dinner) leftovers with a creamy macaroni cheese bake and everyone's a winner. It's the perfect way to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 350g/12oz spirali or macaroni elbow pasta
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 30g/1oz plain flour
- 600ml/20fl oz full-fat milk
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cheddar, grated
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð, grated (or similar vegetarian cheese, if required)
- 300g/10½oz leftover roast vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips and sprouts)
- 250g/9oz leftover stuffing (you can use meat or breadcrumb stuffing)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of pasta cooking water.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the mustard until combined. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture smells biscuity. Pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all of the milk is incorporated.
Gently simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to generously coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cheeses and season generously with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Toss the pasta in the sauce and stir in the reserved pasta water. Stir in the roast vegetables and tip the mixture into a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint baking dish. Crumble over the stuffing, then bake for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden on top and bubbling throughout.
Recipe Tips
You can use any stuffing for the top, whether a loose breadcrumb stuffing or a meat stuffing. if you are using stuffing balls that have been well-baked and are crisp already, add them a little later – 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.