Chicken mac ‘n’ cheese
SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 40 MINUTES
400g macaroni
300g broccoli, cut into florets
4 rashers bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g butter, chopped
⅓ cup (50g) plain flour
1 litre (4 cups) milk
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan cheese
2½ cups (400g) reserved chopped cooked chicken from Salt and Pepper Chicken with Crunchy Carrot Salad (see recipe, right)
1 cup (120g) frozen peas
½ cup (35g) panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
20g butter, melted, extra
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup (100g) grated mozzarella cheese
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Oil a 3-litre (12-cup) ovenproof dish or pan. 2 Cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until almost tender. Add broccoli to pan; boil for 2 minutes. Drain macaroni and broccoli; transfer to a large bowl.
3 Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until browned lightly. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add to bowl.
4 Melt butter in the same large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until bubbling. Gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in parmesan; season to taste. Transfer to bowl with macaroni; stir in chicken and peas until combined. Season to taste. Transfer mixture to ovenproof dish.
5 Combine breadcrumbs, extra butter, parsley and mozzarella in a small bowl; sprinkle over pasta mixture in dish.
6 Bake for about 10 minutes or until browned lightly. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.