MACARONI CHEESE BREADCRUMBS RECIPES

Boil the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to stop it from sticking together. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Have a 23 x 23cm casserole dish or ovenproof dish at the ready.

Meanwhile put a non-stick pan on the hob and add the cheese. Keep stirring all the time while the cheese melts gently. As soon as the cheese has melted, add all the cooked pasta and mix through.

Now add the egg and stir to cook it through and mix it with the cheese mixture. This makes the dish lovely and rich.

Before adding the piccalilli, put it into a bowl and squash it with the back of a fork. Some bits can be very sharp, so you want to distribute it rather than have someone bite into a very sharp bit of cauliflower. If you are having difficulty, snip the larger bits with scissors.

Add the piccalilli to the pasta mixture along with the cream cheese, onion seeds and salt. Mix well, then pour into the casserole dish and smooth the surface so it's level.

To make the crispy topping, melt the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and mix through till the breadcrumbs are roughly coated.

Sprinkle the crumbs over the macaroni cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is all golden.

1. Peel and finely slice the garlic.
2. Get a large pan of salted water on the boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring all the time, until you get a paste – this is your roux.
3. Add all the sliced garlic – don’t worry about the amount because each slice will caramelise like toffee in the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky.
4. Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to the boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally.
5. Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
6. Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes on a board and season them well with sea salt and black pepper. Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan.
7. Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheeses, chopped tomatoes and pick in half of the thyme leaves. A little Worcestershire sauce added now is nice, and so is a little grating or two of nutmeg. Now work on the flavour – taste it and season it until it’s hitting the right spot. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed.
8. If you’ve made your sauce in an ovenproof casserole-type pan, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish. Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden, bubbling, crispy and delicious.
9. While it’s cooking, put your breadcrumbs and the rest of the the thyme leaves into a pan with a few drizzles of olive oil over a medium heat. Stir and toss the crumbs around until crunchy and golden all over. Remove from the heat and tip into a nice bowl.
10. Serve your macaroni cheese in the centre of the table, with your bowl of crispy breadcrumbs for sprinkling over, and a lovely green salad.

Boil the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to stop it from sticking together. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Have a 23 x 23cm casserole dish or ovenproof dish at the ready.

Meanwhile put a non-stick pan on the hob and add the cheese. Keep stirring all the time while the cheese melts gently. As soon as the cheese has melted, add all the cooked pasta and mix through.

Now add the egg and stir to cook it through and mix it with the cheese mixture. This makes the dish lovely and rich.

Before adding the piccalilli, put it into a bowl and squash it with the back of a fork. Some bits can be very sharp, so you want to distribute it rather than have someone bite into a very sharp bit of cauliflower. If you are having difficulty, snip the larger bits with scissors.

Add the piccalilli to the pasta mixture along with the cream cheese, onion seeds and salt. Mix well, then pour into the casserole dish and smooth the surface so it's level.

To make the crispy topping, melt the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and mix through till the breadcrumbs are roughly coated.

Sprinkle the crumbs over the macaroni cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is all golden.

1. Peel and finely slice the garlic.
2. Get a large pan of salted water on the boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring all the time, until you get a paste – this is your roux.
3. Add all the sliced garlic – don’t worry about the amount because each slice will caramelise like toffee in the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky.
4. Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to the boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally.
5. Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
6. Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes on a board and season them well with sea salt and black pepper. Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan.
7. Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheeses, chopped tomatoes and pick in half of the thyme leaves. A little Worcestershire sauce added now is nice, and so is a little grating or two of nutmeg. Now work on the flavour – taste it and season it until it’s hitting the right spot. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed.
8. If you’ve made your sauce in an ovenproof casserole-type pan, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish. Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden, bubbling, crispy and delicious.
9. While it’s cooking, put your breadcrumbs and the rest of the the thyme leaves into a pan with a few drizzles of olive oil over a medium heat. Stir and toss the crumbs around until crunchy and golden all over. Remove from the heat and tip into a nice bowl.
10. Serve your macaroni cheese in the centre of the table, with your bowl of crispy breadcrumbs for sprinkling over, and a lovely green salad.