Bacon and broccoli mac ‘n’ cheese
Serves 4
250g macaroni or other short pasta 500g broccoli, chopped into small florets 60g butter 30g plain flour ¼ tsp garlic powder Salt and black pepper 500ml fresh milk, at room temperature 170g Cheddar, grated, plus extra to top 4 streaky bacon rashers, cooked until crispy 100g breadcrumbs
1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4.
2 Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente.Two minutes before it finishes cooking, add the broccoli. Drain the pot, then rinse the pasta and broccoli under cool water.
3 Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for three minutes to form a roux. Stir in the garlic powder and season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
4 Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from the heat.The sauce will thicken as it rests.
5 Add the pasta and broccoli to a baking dish and sprinkle the Cheddar over the top.
6 Pour the cream sauce over the pasta and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together. Scatter over the bacon, breadcrumbs and a little extra cheese.
7 Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Per Serving 720kcals, 26g fat (13.9g saturated), 85.9g carbs, 11.2g sugars, 36.2g protein, 6.7g fibre, 1.072g sodium