Cheesy Macaroni

Ingredients For the cheese sauce

1pint milk

50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish

50g plain flour

1 bay leaf

175gcheddar cheese

50g Parmesan

300g macaroni
.Heat oven

Gas 6. Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full with water and put it on a high heat to boil. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Using hot milk to make a béchamel greatly reduces the risk of a lumpy sauce, so start by pouring the milk into a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat, until the milk is hot, but not quite boiling. Pour the hot milk into a jug and keep it standing by

Putthe butter in the medium saucepan and melt it over a low heat. As soon as it has melted, tip in the flour. Turn up the heat a little. Stir the flour and butter with a wooden spoon to make a thick paste called a roux. It is very important to cook this roux a little or you will end up with a floury-tasting sauce, so keep stirring it for a minute or two while it sizzles gently. Pour in about a quarter of the hot milk and stir it carefully into the roux. Gradually add the rest of the milk and keep whisking gently until it is all thoroughly mixed in. Add the bay leaf. Bring the sauce to the boil and then turn the heat down to low. Let the sauce gently simmer for about five minutes. Meanwhile, grate the two cheeses, keeping them separate. Grease a large ovenproof dish (about 22cm square) with plenty of butter.

Season the sauce very well with a good grinding of black pepper, a generous grinding of salt and pepper. Add the grated cheddar cheese to the sauce . When the water in the large pot starts to boil, add a good pudding spoonful of salt and the macaroni and cook the pasta for two minutes less than the time it says on the packet. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir together well until thoroughly combined. Pour the cheesy macaroni into the ovenproof dish. Spread evenly and sprinkle it with the grated Parmesan. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese on top has turned golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.

Sometime we just need a bit of comfort from our food, and what could be better than this?