Christmas Leftovers Macaroni Cheese
Combine your Christmas (or any roast dinner) leftovers with a creamy macaroni cheese bake and everyone's a winner. It's the perfect way to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 350 g spirali or macaroni elbow pasta
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 30 g plain flour
- 600 ml full-fat milk
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
- 100 g gruyère cheese grated (or similar vegetarian cheese, if required)
- 300 g leftover roast vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and sprouts
- 250 g leftover stuffing you can use meat or breadcrumb stuffing
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of pasta cooking water.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the mustard until combined. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture smells biscuity. Pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all of the milk is incorporated.
- Gently simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to generously coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cheeses and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/180℃ Fan/Gas 6.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce and stir in the reserved pasta water. Stir in the roast vegetables and tip the mixture into a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint baking dish. Crumble over the stuffing, then bake for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden on top and bubbling throughout.
Notes
You can use any stuffing for the top, whether a loose breadcrumb stuffing or a meat stuffing. if you are using stuffing balls that have been well-baked and are crisp already, add them a little later – 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
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