Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese or Macaroni and cheese is a dish cooked in macaroni pasta and cheese. The dish is very popular in United States, United Kingdom, Australia and many other countries.

The steps involved are very simple and you can cook it while watching your favorite TV show. I have prepared mushroom mac and cheese with bread crumbs. Cooking time: 45 mins.

I owe this recipe to my husband :)

Ingredients:

• Macaroni pasta
• Mozarella cheese 
• Boiled milk - 2 cups
• Bread piece - 1
• Mushrooms - 5-6
• Butter/ Ghee
• Pepper powder
• Salt
• Maida/ All purpose flour - 6 spoons

Preparation:

• Boil water with 2 spoons salt and cook macaroni in the boiling water till its al dente (firm but not hard). This could take 10-15 mins depending on the macaroni you are using.
• Parallel to this, heat 3 spoons of butter/ ghee in a frying pan. 
• When it has melted, add 6 spoons of maida/ all purpose flour and saute for 2 mins. It should become dark yellow.

• Add boiled milk to this mix and stir well. There should not be any lumps. Continue to saute till the mixture becomes creamy and thick. Now turn off the flame.

• Add 1 spoon salt, 1 spoon pepper and a handful of cheese bites. Different types of cheese can be used here. I have used only mozarella cheese.
• Drain out hot water completely from cooked macaroni. Keep it in cold water to avoid further cooking.

• Add the macaroni (with no water) to the milk-cheese mixture and mix well.

• Stir well to mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
• Toss chopped mushrooms in 2 spoons of ghee/ butter for 2mins. You can use any vegetable of your choice.
• Toast the bread piece. 

• Take a baking/ oven bowl and transfer 3/4th of the mac and cheese.

• Now make a layer of tossed mushrooms.

• Add rest of the macaroni.

• Add some more cheese bites(generously).

• Crush the toasted bread to crumbs and add it on top of the mac and cheese.

• Lastly, keep the bowl for baking in an oven or microwave at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 mins. 
• Cheese should have melted completely by now and bread crumbs are brown in color.

Serve hot hot!