Recipe: Southern mac and cheese with sourdough crumbs

Cold days are worth it when you have this mac and cheese to look forward to. Photo / Fresh Media

Amp up a lusciously creamy, cheesy mac and cheese with extra flavour and crunch!

It’s hard to beat this dish if you’ve got a craving for some carby comfort food. There’s nothing bland about it – some extra ingredients give this mac and cheese plenty of oomph. Serve it as a side dish or tuck into a plateful for supper.

Southern mac and cheese with sourdough crumbs

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese

500g macaroni

6 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

1½ cup milk

1 cup cream

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups tasty cheese, grated

2 cups colby cheese, grated

1 free-range egg

For the topping

60g sourdough crackers

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions and drain.
3. While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan and whisk the flour in until well combined. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Slowly pour the milk and cream into the pan, whisking continuously to avoid any lumps. Simmer until thickened, stirring regularly. Season and simmer for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the cheeses in and stir until melted and smooth.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, add a little cheese sauce and whisk again. Add to the cheese sauce along with cooked pasta. Stir until the pasta is well coated in cheese sauce.
7. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

- fresh.co.nz