On days, when you are in a mood for something vegetarian but exactly not in that condition - that's when Mac n Cheese comes to rescue. There is nothing complicated about it - cooked macaroni washed in some white sauce and loads of cheese! Simple, isn't it? Bake it with some more additives and it takes this simple dish to the next level. In fact, I wished I had added some cooked chicken into this, thanks to the soggy faces that silently dumped their servings into their systems. It is not that they did not like it, it is just that they wished for an extra bite... Darn! Making a totally non-vegetarian meal is becoming a very big challenge on a daily basis... Hmm... till I sit and worry about that, let's move on to this comfort food...
Baked Mac n Cheese
Serves 3
Ingredients:
300 gm macaroni, cooked till el dente
2 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese (or cheddar)
1 egg
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Heat butter in a saucepan. Add the bay leaf and onion and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and fry again for a couple of minutes. Add the milk and stir constantly avoiding lumps. The mixture will start to thicken. Add in salt and pepper and switch off the flame.
Now add in the cheese and egg along with the cooked macaroni and mix well. Arrange into a pan. Mix the melted butter, breadcrumbs and oregano. Sprinkle this over the macaroni. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the coriander once hot out of the oven. Serve immediately.
