How do you fancy eating the most creamy, decadent macaroni cheese you've ever tasted? And how do you fancy only having one, single pot to wash up afterwards? And best still, how do you fancy not having to faff around making a white sauce, because with this recipe, the pasta cooks in the milk and cream and the sauce thickens up all by itself.
The Quorn adds a little texture and protein and the extra cheddar on top gives a gooey, stringy deliciousness as you serve.
Here's what to do. It feeds at least 6 as you will not need a huge portion of this rich, drool-worthy meal. Serve with masses of fresh salad.
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) Quorn pieces
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic puree
- 450 ml (15.2 floz) milk
- 500 ml (1.1 pt) double cream
- 200 ml (6.8 floz) water
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 500 g (1.1 lb) dried macaroni
- salt and pepper
- 100 g (3.5 oz) grana padano or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
- 150 g (5.3 oz) red cheddar
Equipment
Instructions
- Fry the Quorn and garlic in the oil over a medium heat until starting to colour.
- Add the milk, double cream, water, nutmeg, mustard powder, dried macaroni and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring gently to a low simmer, then replace the lid and keep an eye on the heat until it’s just bubbling gently and evenly.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is al dente. If you feel the sauce has over thickened at any point during the cooking process, just add a little water and stir through.
- Take off the heat and stir in the grana padano until melted.
- Sprinkle the cheddar on top and replace the lid for long enough for the cheese to melt.
- Serve to the table immediately.
So yes, not a low-fat meal, but so, so yummy and much smoother than a standard mac n cheese recipe, without a hint of grittiness. If you fancy it, you could stir in some fresh peas, cooked broccoli or washed baby spinach just before the grana padano stage.
As you can see, I cooked this stunningly creamy one-pot meal in a Le Creuset 24cm deep casserole dish, with a 6 litre capacity.
This handsome pot has a toughened non-stick coating inside and out, which means it's light, yet feels like you're cooking in cast iron. I adore using it. The heat distributes very evenly and it's safe to use with metal utensils, so cooking is a breeze.
With attractive, stainless steel riveted handles, you might think it's only for stove-top use only, but in fact this pot is safe to place in the oven in temperatures up to 260C (or 220C if the glass lid is used).
It's also safe to use on any heat source including gas, electric, ceramic, radiant ring and induction hobs, plus the whole lot can be placed in the dishwasher when you're done.
I'm completely smitten with this pot and will be using it to cook just about everything from now on.
As a teen, I often cooked in my mum's classic orange Le Creuset pot that she'd owned since the 70s and which she still uses today. When this brand says lifetime guarantee, they're not kidding.
If this post has sparked or re-kindled your love of Le Creuset, log on to Twitter on Thursday 2nd October at 5pm to join @gbchefs and @lecreusetuk for a live Q & A, where you can pose all your questions about one pot cooking using the hashtag #onepotcooking.
Creamy one-pot mac n cheese with Quorn pieces
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) Quorn pieces
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic puree
- 450 ml (15.2 floz) milk
- 500 ml (1.1 pt) double cream
- 200 ml (6.8 floz) water
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 500 g (1.1 lb) dried macaroni
- salt and pepper
- 100 g (3.5 oz) grana padano or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
- 150 g (5.3 oz) red cheddar
Instructions
- Fry the Quorn and garlic in the oil over a medium heat until starting to colour.
- Add the milk, double cream, water, nutmeg, mustard powder, dried macaroni and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring gently to a low simmer, then replace the lid and keep an eye on the heat until it’s just bubbling gently and evenly.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is al dente. If you feel the sauce has over thickened at any point during the cooking process, just add a little water and stir through.
- Take off the heat and stir in the grana padano until melted.
- Sprinkle the cheddar on top and replace the lid for long enough for the cheese to melt.
- Serve to the table immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This is a commissioned post for Le Creuset and Great British Chefs
More comforting pasta recipes to try
Get Your Kids to Eat Anything
My debut cookbook, Get Your Kids To Eat Anything is available now from all good bookshops!
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking says
Le Creuset is quite probably Ben's favourite cooking brand ever, not really surprising for a Frenchman I suppose. His mum has all her Le Creuset "cocottes" from when she first set up home in the 1970s. Great, great brand. When we moved to the UK and bought all our kitchen utensils from scratch it was Le Creuset all the way, you just can't fault it. Oh and that dish looks just fab too, pinning and stumbling it now.
#Recipeoftheweek
My Family Ties says
This is my daughters favourite recipe and I am always on the hunt for a new version of it, this looks so scrummy and I love the addition of the quorn, a must try recipe! #recipeoftheweek
Natalie Tamara says
This looks delicious! I love one pot cooking and have made pasta dishes this way before but I've never thought of making a macaroni cheese in one pot. Love the idea of adding quorn for extra texture too - really want to give this a go now :)
Alison says
I love mac and cheese, I usually add smoked sausage and tomatoes. Quorn is a nice idea
Hay In A Day says
Oooo mac n cheese! Yum! It's one of those heart warming meals that are perfect for the winter drawing in. And all in only one pot, I'm sold! #recipeoftheweek
Yet Another Blogging Mummy!!! says
This sounds really great. I've never thought of adding quorn to a macaroni cheese #recipeoftheweek
The Reading Residence says
Oh, this looks delicious and easy! We love mac n cheese here, and I like the idea of adding the quorn in, too. And no hassle with the white sauce either - I will try it this week! Thanks