Ingredients
- knob of butter
- spoon of flour
- small cup of milk
- 2 spoons of grated cheese
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- small cup of macaroni
Equipment
- Small pan
- Wooden spoon
- Whisk
- Dishcloth – very important! Children need to clean…
- Tea-towel
- Tupperware
Method
Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 15 minutes – check and cook a little longer if not quite soft.
While the macaroni is cooking, put the butter in the pan and melt. Add the flour and stir over a medium heat. Add a small amount of the milk and when the mixture clumps together, remove from the heat and beat it about with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add some more milk, put it back on the heat and stir gently until the mix thickens. If it looks like there are large lumps, use the whisk to break them up. Add the rest of the milk and stir gently until a couple of bubbles pop in the sauce. Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese and Dijon mustard. The mustard will not make a peppery taste when used in small quantities, but it does bring out the flavour of the cheese.
Drain the pasta and add the pasta to the sauce (not the other way around – it is far more difficult to mix). Mix and eat. If you want to present this in a more fancy way, pop the Mac ‘n’ Cheese in an oven proof dish, sprinkle something interesting on top (grated cheese, or maybe breadcrumbs with cheese and herbs mixed in) and then put under the grill.
Skills
- making a sauce from a béchamel base