Spice up your classic mac and cheese with a bold Mexican twist! Chipotle chillies and zesty pickled jalapeños create the perfect garnish for a truly flavorful dish.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves
Serves 4
By Matt TebbuttFrom Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the mac and cheese
- 85g/3oz unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 75g/2¾oz plain flour
- 750ml/1¼ pint semi-skimmed milk
- 250ml/9fl oz evaporated milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 150g/5½oz Old Winchester cheese, grated
- 150g/5½oz raw cow’s milk mature cheddar, grated
- 150g/5½oz Cornish yarg cheese, grated
- 500g/1lb 2oz macaroni
- 3 dried chipotle chillies, rehydrated and chopped
- 4 deep-fried shallots, to serve
- 50g/1¾oz panko breadcrumbs, toasted, to serve
For the garnish
- 2 tsp picked oregano leaves
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños, sliced
- 1 red chillie, sliced
- 3 pickled onions, sliced
Method
To make the mac and cheese, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the garlic and fry for 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the flour. Slowly pour in the milk and condensed milk, whisking all the time, and add the bay leaf. Boil for a few minutes, then add most of the cheese and stir until melted. Reserve some cheese for the topping.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a saucepan of boiling water according to packet instructions, drain and toss into the cheese mixture. Stir in the chipotle chillies. Tip into a baking dish and scatter over the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
To make the garnish, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
To serve, crush the shallots with the panko breadcrumbs and scatter over the top of the mac and cheese. Garnish with the oregano mixture and serve.