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Stu's 'never fails' mac 'n' cheese recipe

Stu's 'never fails' mac 'n' cheese recipe

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Normally, uni student Stu, from our story, is a beans-on-toast kind of man. But now that (much to his family’s surprise) he’s bagged himself a girlfriend, Becky, signs of change are afoot. For their six-month anniversary, he’s decided to go all out and cook her favourite meal: mac ’n’ cheese. With some Stu-style touches (bacon, yessss!), and a little ambient candlelight, it’s the best mac ’n’ cheese she's ever had. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 5 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
  • 597 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 240g macaroni
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 150g mascarpone
  • 250g fresh spinach or 250g frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
  • 75g medium mature Cheddar
  • 1 x 50g pack ready-to-eat cooked smoked bacon strips

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2505kj
    597kcal     30%

  • Fat

    31g 45%

  • Saturates

    17g 85%

  • Sugars

    13g 14%

  • Salt

    1.7g 28%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 58g Protein 24g Fibre 7g

Method

155x255 Stu mini
  1. Preheat the grill to high. In a pan set over a medium heat, heat the oil. Once hot but not smoking, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, until soft.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni for 10 minutes.

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  3. Add the tomato purée and tomatoes to the onions and cook for 7-8 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the heat and then stir through the mascarpone and spinach. Season to taste.
  4. Drain the cooked macaroni, add to the sauce and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Grate over the cheese and cook under the hot grill for 3-4 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the grill and evenly crumble over the bacon strips before serving.

Little help

For baked pasta dishes like this, boil the pasta for slightly less time than usual.

Leftovers

Add a tablespoon or two of leftover mascarpone to scrambled eggs to make them extra rich, or serve with crumble or fruit salad.

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.


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