Mac & Cheese with all the toppings!

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 10

ingredients

Macaroni Pasta (75g per person)

Butter

Flour

Mustard Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Milk

Gruyere Cheese

Mature Cheddar Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Simon Howie Wee Black Pudding

Simon Howie Dry Cure Smoked Streaky Bacon

Simon Howie Black Label 97% Pork Sausages

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions although I recommend you drain it slightly early as it will continue to cook in the cheese sauce.
2. Grate your Gruyere and Cheddar and combine in a bowl with grated parmesan.
3. Make a roux by melting your butter. How much butter and flour depends on how many people you are cooking for. Use more butter to make more sauce! Add a few spoonfuls of flour and a large teaspoon of mustard powder and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. You want the mix to look a bit like wet sand so if it’s too runny still add a bit more flour.
4. Cook out the flour mix for 1 minute to prevent your sauce from tasting floury.
5. Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the milk bit by bit, stirring all the time. When you have added all your milk (again this depends on how many people you are cooking for try and add enough milk to represent how much sauce you think you need) put the pan back on a medium heat and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. You do not want the sauce to boil. Once thickened, remove from the heat. After a minute add in half of your grated cheese and stir through to combine and melt the cheese.
6. Combine the pasta and the cheese sauce.
7. Spoon out half the cheesy pasta into an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and then top with the remaining cheesy pasta. Top with the remaining cheese and cook in a hot oven until the cheese topping has cooked to a golden cheesy top.
8. While the macaroni cheese is cooking cook up your toppings according to the packet instructions and then chop up into serving bowls.
9. Serve the piping hot Macaroni Cheese with the topping selections and let everyone make their own bespoke Mac & Cheese masterpiece!