Mushroom mac and cheese

Mushroom mac and cheese
Mushroom mac and cheese

Some Mondays just call for the ultimate comfort food… mac and cheese. What makes this an even better Monday essential is that it is totally meat free and can be made all in 1 pot and the addition of mushrooms elevates a simple childhood dish to the next level.

Let’s get cooking…

Melt some butter in a heavy based pot and throw in your sliced mushrooms, salt and thyme. Allow the mushrooms to sauté on medium heat until most of the water has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and use the remaining liquid in the pan or add more butter if needed to make your roux. Whisk in the flour and stir around until the flour is cooked out and no longer raw.

Add in the milk and whisk until the sauce is starting to thicken. Stir in the paprika and the dry pasta along with 1 cup of water and cook for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

Stir constantly while the pasta cooks as you don’t want it stick. Add ½ cup of water at a time if the sauce gets too dry.

Once the pasta is cooked add in the cheese and pepper, mix thoroughly to combine. Taste and add salt as needed. At this point you can top with breadcrumbs and parmesan and bake until golden. Serve while piping hot!

Mushroom mac and cheese

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g pasta, I used gluten free penne

  • 250g cheese, I used hard style goat cheese or cheddar

  • 1 ½ cups milk

  • 2 tblsp butter

  • 2 tblsp flour

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 4 tblsp heavy cream, optional

  • 2 cups of water

  • ¼ cup parmesan

  • 1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Directions

  • Melt some butter in a heavy based pot and throw in your sliced mushrooms, salt and thyme. Allow the mushrooms to sauté on medium heat until most of the water has evaporated.
  • Remove the mushrooms form the pan and use the remaining liquid in the pan or add more butter if needed to make your roux.
  • Melt the butter and whisk in the flour
  • Stir around until the flour is cooked out
  • Add in the milk and whisk until the sauce is starting to thicken. Stir in the paprika and the dry pasta
  • Mix in 1 cup of water and cook for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente
  • Stir constantly while the pasta cooks as you don’t want it stick
  • Add ½ cup of water at a time if the sauce gets too dry
  • Once the pasta is cooked add in the cheese, mushrooms and pepper, mix thoroughly to combine
  • 10. Taste and add salt as needed
  • 11. At this point you can top with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan and bake until golden. I generally leave out the bread crumbs and just top with Parmesan.

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