I love macaroni cheese, but I like a bit of protein in there too, so this is my dirty mac and cheese. I’d never made it before I filmed it – I even cook the pasta in the same pan as the beef – and I promised to post it even if it was a disaster. It wasn’t. It’s exactly what you want on an autumn evening, and it freezes beautifully.
Ingredients
- 1 splash oil
- 500 g beef mince salted a few hours ahead and left uncovered in the fridge
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- salt
- 2 fat cloves garlic finely chopped or sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp of either herb
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp paprika hot or sweet
- pinch chilli flakes optional
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 50 ml red wine
- 900 ml chicken or beef stock or a mixture
- black pepper
- 300 g elbow macaroni
- 150 ml milk
- 150 g Cheddar grated
- 40 g Parmesan grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a large, deep pan. Brown the mince in two batches, breaking it up – let the water cook off so it really caramelises. Set aside.
- Lower the heat, add a little more oil and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 7–10 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic, herbs, tomato purée, paprika, chilli (if using) and Worcestershire sauce. Turn up the heat and cook for a couple of minutes until the purée turns brick red.
- Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up all the bits from the bottom. Return the beef to the pan.
- Add 100ml of the stock, a pinch of salt and plenty of pepper. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and let it bubble gently for 30 minutes.
- Add another 700ml of stock (keep the last 100ml in case you need it) and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the macaroni and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the milk and cook for another 2–3 minutes – the pasta should be just shy of al dente.
- Turn the heat right down and stir in most of the Cheddar, the Parmesan and the Dijon. Take off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
- Finish with the rest of the Cheddar and the chives, and check the seasoning.
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