Creamy brie & caramelised onion mac & cheese topped with a crunchy tiger loaf bread crumb topping. Who doesn't love a comforting bowl of mac & cheese? I love the addition of the caramelised onion in this mac & cheese, the sweetness pairs perfectly with the brie.
Total Cooking Time
1 Hour
Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the caramelised onion;
1 Medium white onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 tbsp Brown sugar
1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Olive oil
For the mac & cheese;
250g Rigatoni
650ml Semi skimmed milk
50g Unsalted butter
50g Plain flour
100g Extra mature cheddar (grated)
200g Brie (rind removed)
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
50g Tiger loaf
Method
1. Thinly slice the onion and add olive oil to a frying pan to heat. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the sugar and balsamic and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the sugar has melted and the balsamic has reduced, now set aside.
2. Grate the cheddar, remove the rind from the brie and cut into chunks. Pre heat the oven to 180 fan.
3. Roughly tare up the tiger loaf into chunks and a tablespoon of butter in a pan. Once melted add the bread and lightly toast, stirring regularly to avoid burning. Now blitz in a food processor to a crumb and set aside.
4. Add the rigatoni to a pan of boiling salted water and cook as per pack instructions.
5. Heat the milk in a jug (around 1 minute in the microwave). Add the butter to a pan, once melted whisk in the flour and cook for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking until completely smooth after each addition of milk to avoid lumps. When all milk has been added, return the pan to the heat and continue to whisk until a thick consistency.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat and add all of the cheddar and most of the brie (leave some for the top), mix until melted. Season with salt & pepper, add the nutmeg and caramelised onion, stir to combine. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk.
7. Drain the rigatoni and add to the pan with the sauce, mix well to combine. Add to a baking dish and top with the remaining brie and the toasted breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
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