Sprout Mac-and-Four-Cheese
Vegetarian
A classic mac and cheese recipe given a little festive twist with sprouts mushrooms and truffle oil, and the inclusion of not 1, but 4 different cheeses.
Serves 4-6 as a side
P.s. This is Day 1 of my ‘12 Days of Sproutmas’ series on socials!
Tips & Tricks
Cheese mix: Cheddar, Comté and Gruyère in the sauce, mozzarella on top for extra melt, but feel free to switch it up with what you’ve got at home. It’s a great way to use up leftover cheese board!
Truffle oil: A tiny drizzle takes this to the next level — optional, but delicious.
Pasta: Slightly undercook so it holds up during baking.
One-pan: Use an oven-safe pan so it can go straight from hob to oven.
Ingredients.
125g / 1 cup dry macaroni
22g / 1½ tbsp butter
22g / 3 tbsp plain flour
500ml / 2 cups whole milk
200g / 2 cups grated cheese, mix of cheddar, Comté and Gruyère
(150g / 1½ cups for the sauce, 50g / ½ cup for topping)
50g / ½ cup mozzarella, fresh or grated
1 heaped tsp English mustard
Scant ¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
300g / 3 cups chestnut mushrooms
300g / 3 cups Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Truffle oil, to serve (optional)
Equipment.
cast iron skillet/sauté pan (or any oven & hob-safe skillet)
large pan & lid
sharp knife
Method.
Heat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / 430°F.
Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted boiling water for 6 minutes, until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously until smooth. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, until thickened.
Take off the heat and stir in 150g of the mixed cheese, the mustard, nutmeg, a big pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper.
Meanwhile, wipe and slice the mushrooms, and halve then roughly slice the sprouts.
Heat an oven-safe or cast-iron pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sprouts and cook over medium–high heat for 6–8 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelised. Season with salt.
Add the cooked macaroni to the pan of vegetables. Pour over the cheese sauce and fold everything together until evenly coated.
Scatter the remaining 50g mixed cheese and the 50g mozzarella over the top, drizzle with a little olive oil and finish with a pinch of salt.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Leave to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving. Drizzle lightly with truffle oil, if using.
