Southern-Style Mac ‘n’ Cheese

by BBC Good Food

Round out this cheesy pasta classic with roasted sweet potato, a staple food in the southern US states, and turn up the temperature with a pinch of cayenne. A delicious Diana Henry recipe, from our partners at BBC Good Food.

Method

Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.

Step 1

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small bite-sized chunks. Toss in a 20cm gratin dish with the olive oil, cayenne and some seasoning. Roast for 25-30 mins, or until golden and soft, tossing occasionally.

Step 2

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir together to make a roux, and cook for a couple of mins. Remove from the heat, then slowly pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Turn the heat down, add the mustard and nutmeg and season well. Add in most of the cheese (keep some for the top) and continue to stir. Taste for seasoning. Keep on a low heat so it stays warm until the macaroni is ready.

Step 3

Cook the macaroni in boiling, lightly salted water for a couple of minutes less than it says on the packet. Drain (reserve some of the pasta cooking water), then stir the pasta and cooked sweet potato into the cheese sauce. The mixture should be quite thick, but add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen if necessary. Taste for seasoning.

Step 4

Tip the mixture into the gratin dish, then scatter over the rest of the cheese and return to the oven. Bake for about 20-30 mins, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a green salad, if you wish.

  • Ingredients
  • Based on 4 servings
  • 100g Green Salad 1x Sainsbury's Italian Style Salad 100g
  • 0.25 tsp Ground Cayenne 1x Sainsbury's Cayenne Pepper 42g
  • 135g Extra Mature Cheddar, grated 1x Sainsbury's British Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese 400g
  • 35g Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Salted 250g
  • 3 tsp American Mustard, or half the amount of English mustard 1x Sainsbury's American Style Mustard 325g
  • 400g Sweet Potatoes 1x Sainsbury's Sweet Potatoes Loose
  • 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 500ml
  • 225g Macaroni 1x Sainsbury's Macaroni Pasta 500g
  • 50g Plain Flour 1x Sainsbury's Plain Flour 1.5kg
  • 1 pint Whole Milk 1x Sainsbury's British Whole Milk 568ml (1 pint)
  • 0.25 tsp Nutmeg 1x Sainsbury's Whole Nutmeg 36g
  • Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g
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