The Crazy Kitchen: Macaroni Cheese with Bacon & Leeks

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Tuesday 30 October 2012

Macaroni Cheese with Bacon & Leeks

I can't remember the last time I made macaroni cheese. It's not something that I'm overly keen on but as everyone else likes it I thought I'd given them a treat.


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Macaroni Cheese with Bacon & Leeks - serves 6-8

500g Macaroni
200g Bacon Lardons
2 medium Leeks, thinly sliced
100g Butter
100g Plain Flour
1 Litre milk
200g Cheese (I used a mix of mature cheddar & Pecorino Romano)

  • Boil the Macaroni as per directions on the pack
  • Meanwhile fry the lardons in a large pan for 2 minutes over a medium heat
  • Add the sliced leeks, stir and cover and sweat down for 5 minutes.
  • Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted
  • Stir in the flour and stir over a low heat for 2 minutes
  • Gradually add the milk, a little at a time to avoid getting lumps until all the milk has been added
  • Bring to the boil and remove from the heat
  • Stir in the cooked pasta and 150g of the cheese and mix well
  • Add to a baking dish and cover with the remaining cheese & bake in a preheated 180ยบ C oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

This recipe makes between 6 & 8 portions so you could freeze some to eat at a later date.

I have been sent a set of retro looking ceramic cook and serve dishes from Presents for Men (they don't just have presents for men, they also have them for the ladies and children too!) which were perfect for cooking this dish in as I could serve one portion and then pop the other one in the freezer for another day. There are 2 dishes in the set and both come with silicone lids. I was a little disappointed that the lid for the smaller dish doesn't seem to fit properly so I ended up putting the bowl into a freezer bag as it didn't seem very secure. The larger one fits better but it still doesn't feel as secure as I'd hoped.

The dishes, however, are great and can be used in the dishwasher, oven, microwave and freezer. They are also stackable for easy storage and come in a floral or stripe design.

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I was sent the set of dishes for the purpose of this review



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