Enjoy this delicious take on the classic recipe, adding tasty twists such as smoked paprika and cherry tomatoes, to turn a quick and easy recipe into a feast for the whole family.
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
- 480ml water
- 140g evaporated milk
- 180ml fresh milk
- 300g elbow macaroni
- 30g butter
- 200g Cheddar cheese, grated
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- Salt and black pepper
To serve:
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Crispy bacon, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
Place the stock cube in a measuring jug, and pour over 360ml boiling water. Stir the water until the stock cube dissolves. Put a large pot over a high heat and pour in the chicken stock.
Add the water, evaporated milk and 120ml of the milk.
Add the macaroni.
Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately turn the heat down to medium-low so that it simmers. Cook for five minutes until the pasta is cooked, stirring constantly. You can test if it’s cooked by carefully stabbing a piece with a fork. Let it cool down and then take a little bite. If it’s still too hard, give it another few minutes and then test it again.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the butter.
Place the pot back over a low heat and add the grated cheese a little at a time, stirring it in as it melts.
Add half of the remaining milk and stir it in to create a creamy sauce. If it’s not creamy enough, add the rest of the milk.
Stir in the smoked paprika and mustard powder. Add some salt and pepper and stir everything together. Serve immediately topped with some halved cherry tomatoes and crumbled crispy bacon, if desired.
Per serving: 610kcals, 27.7g fat (16.9g saturated), 63.1g carbs, 8.2g sugars, 26.6g protein, 2.5g fibre, 0.843g sodium.