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Upside Down Mac’n’Cheese Pie

By Dominic Franks

Upside Down Mac’n’Cheese Pie
The ultimate comfort food. Here, I’m dialling up the carbs with pasta and a layer of puff pastry.

Upside Down Mac’n’Cheese Pie Recipe

The trick to a good mac and cheese is to use two types of cheese. In this recipe for Upside Down Mac’n’Cheese Pie I go for something strong, like an extra-mature Cheddar, combined with a stringy, nutty cheese, such as Emmental, which works perfectly. Although, you could go with something even cheesier, like Velveeta, an American brand of melting cheese, that is sinful, but really makes a difference.

Makes 4-6 serves

Ingredients

  • 320g (11oz) sheet of readyrolled puff pastry, roughly 35 x 23cm (14 x 9in)
  • 200g (7oz) macaroni or spirali
  • 1 recipe quantity of Cheese Sauce (see below)
  • 7 streaky bacon rashers
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • 100g (3½oz) breadcrumbs
  • 50g (1¾oz) strong Cheddar, finely grated
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped chives, to garnish

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Unroll the sheet of pastry and set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water for half the time instructed on the packet. Drain well and stir the pasta into the prepared cheese sauce.
  3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan until dark and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, drain on kitchen paper, and chop it into small pieces. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese. Set aside.
  4. Mark out a large rectangle on the baking parchment, the same size as the pastry, and place it drawn-side down on the baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
  5. Leaving a 1cm (½in) border, sprinkle the cheesy breadcrumbs over the marked rectangle, then top with half of the crispy bacon. Spoon half of the mac and cheese over the bacon, making sure you keep it within the marked rectangle, then top with the rest of the bacon and the remaining mac and cheese.
  6. Lay the pastry sheet over the mac and cheese. Using the back of a fork or teaspoon, press around the edges of the pastry to seal. Score the top in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife and then brush with beaten egg.
  7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to sit on the tray for 10 minutes. Lay a piece of baking parchment on top, followed by a chopping board, and carefully flip the tart over in one swift move. Remove the tray and peel off the backing paper. Sprinkle with chives and cut into squares to serve.

Smart Tip

You will need a large baking tray, roughly 38 x 27cm (15 x 10½in), lined with baking parchment.

 

Cheese Sauce Recipe

Makes approx 500ml (16fl oz)

 

Ingredients

500ml (16fl oz) milk (I used skimmed but go with your choice)

50g (1¾oz) plain flour

50g (1¾oz) lightly salted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

  1. Place a saucepan on a medium heat, pour in the milk, then add the flour and butter. Using a balloon whisk, gently whisk the sauce for about 6 minutes, until lusciously creamy and thickened.
  2. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook the sauce for a further 5 minutes, whisking every so often to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. Stir in a little salt and pepper to taste. The sauce is now ready to use or turned into a cheese sauce (see below).
  3. This all-in-one method results in a classic white sauce, perfect for lasagna or fish pie, but you can pimp it up by adding your favourite cheeses. For a light, creamy sauce, stir in 100g (3½oz) cream cheese when the white sauce has finished cooking. For a stronger-tasting sauce, add 85g (3oz) grated strong Cheddar and stir until melted and combined.

 

Recipe extract from One Pan Feasts by Dominic Franks, RRP $49.99.

 

Discover other recipes from One Pan Feasts by Dominic Franks

Golden and delicious, these fritters leek, sweetcorn and tuna fritters are easy to make, click here for the recipe

Elevate your classic comfort food with this luxurious Prosecco Fish Pie, click here for the Prosecco Fish Pie recipe

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