Leek and Bacon Macaroni Cheese will feed an army of kid! It's cheap to make, nutritious and the kids love it.
Ingredients:
- 500 g pack of macaroni
- 300g of cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 medium sized leeks, well chopped
- 500ml semi skimmed milk
- 1 small pot of natural (plain) yogurt
- 8 rashers of streaky bacon
- 1 clove of garlic , crushed(optional)
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 oz plain flour
- 1 oz butter or margarine
- A little oil* for frying
I now use red palm and canola oil which is sold in the UK under the name Carotino. It's orange in colour and contains Omega 3 and 6 oils plus vitamins A and E and is totally free from hydrogenated oils and Trans fats.
Method:
- Cook the macaroni in lots of boiling , well salted water until soft and chewy - al dente is the term used in Italy.
- Meanwhile make a cheese sauce like this:-
- Melt the butter/margarine in a saucepan
- Remove from heat and stir in the flour
- Return to heat (low) and cook the mixture for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and slowly add the milk, stirring well to avoid lumps.
- Return to heat and stir occasionally as the sauce thickens.
- When the sauce is thick remove from heat and stir in three quarters of the grated cheese.
- When the cheese has melted, stir in the yogurt
- Drain the macaroni and stir in the cheese sauce making sure the pasta is well coated. Put to one side.
- Melt a little oil in a frying pan and add the crushed garlic and chopped leeks. Fry gently until the leeks are soft but not browned.
- Put half the leeks in the bottom of a large oven proof dish and then add the pasta and cheese sauce on top of this.
- Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over the top.
- Then put the rest of the fried leeks on top of this.
- Bake in a medium oven - about 140 degrees Centigrade until the cheese on top is bubbling through the leeks.
- Meanwhile fry the bacon rashers in the frying pan until very crisp.
- Arrange these on top of the whole thing and return to the oven for about ten minutes before serving.
If your kids have big appetites you can serve Leek and Bacon Macaroni Cheese with warm garlic bread. Delicious!
