Chipotle Mac & Cheese with Chorizo Breadcrumb Topping

Disclaimer: I will say that I’m not a fan of overly saucy mac & cheese. If you are, just follow the same recipe but increase the ingredient quantities for the sauce by 20-25% #lifehack

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Ingredients (serves 4)

Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 20-30 mins

• 300g dried macaroni

• Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp plain flour

  • 75g butter

  • 500ml milk

  • 2 tsp chipotle paste

  • 200g grated cheddar (half of this goes in the sauce, the rest on the top)

• 75g chorizo, chopped into chunks

  • Note: if using a chorizo ring, remove the outer skin.

• 50g panko breadcrumbs

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• Salt

• Pepper

• Oil

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Equipment required

• One saucepan for the sauce

• One larger saucepan for the pasta

• A large roasting tray/oven friendly serving dish in which to bake the macaroni

• A frying pan for the topping

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Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan and boil a full kettle.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and the chipotle paste to make a spicy roux. This should resemble a thick paste with a sandy texture. Gradually add the milk (about 100ml at a time), stirring well and allowing the sauce to thicken up each time. Season with salt & pepper.

3. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water for ~6 minutes or until 90% done. Drain and set aside until the sauce is ready.

4. Once you are happy with the thickness of the sauce and all the milk has been added in, add 100g of the cheese and mix well. Finally, combine with the pasta. Tip the macaroni & cheese into the roasting tin/serving dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 10 minutes.

5. Heat a frying pan with a tsp of oil over a medium-high heat. Fry the chorizo for a few minutes, until starting to crisp and releasing some oils. Add the breadcrumbs and coat with the chorizo oil.

6. Once the initial 10 minutes is up, remove the macaroni from the oven and top with the chorizo & breadcrumbs. Pop back in the oven for a further 10 minutes or until golden & bubbly.

7. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Top with the sliced spring onions and serve.