Hump Day Treat: Ultimate Mac'n'Cheese in 15 minutes

There are some days that mean when you get in the door, away from the wind and rain and drudgery of endless email threads and multiple spreadsheets, you just need a bit of comfort. 

You want something gooey and delightful and you don't have to wait too long for it. 

I found myself in need of such comfort last Wednesday night, between the horror of a Trump Presidency and a long day at worked, I needed a hug for my belly. I needed something with melted cheese. I needed to remember that America does have some damn good ideas sometimes - enter Mac'N'Cheese. 

Now I now America hardly invented pasta, or the combination of it with cheese, but the have turned it into a national institution. But I'm not interested in anything that comes out of a blue box; not when it's so simple to make this Ultimate Mac'N'Cheese in 12 minutes.

     
Topped with crispy pancetta and golden breadcrumbs and served with a mixed green salad, it's the perfect plate when you don't know what you fancy, but you do know how you want it to make you feel. Full. Safe. Secure. A little bit of hope that as long as there is good food, things aren't always as bleak as they seem...

Or, you know, it's just awesome to eat by the spoonful while watching some John Oliver. 



Vicky's Ultimate Mac'N'Cheese
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees 

400g macoroni pasta
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of plain flour
200g cheddar cheese
220ml of milk (add more if you want a runnier sauce)
75g garlic and herb cheese (Aldi have a great one) 
Salt and pepper to taste
150g pancetta
Day old french stick/bread, crumbed

- Place pasta in heavily salted boiling water and cook for 9-10 minutes until al dente. (TIP: Himself puts our plates on top of the pasta as its boiling - it warms the plates and stops the water splashing over)
- Melt butter and add two tablespoons of flour. Mix until combined.
- Add in milk and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. 
- Grate the two types of cheese and mix into sauce. 
- Drain pasta and stir into cheese sauce until well combined/coated. 
- Pour into bread loaf and sprinkle pancetta and bread crumbs on top. 
- Pop into oven and bake for 2-4 minutes until pancetta is crispy and bread is golden. 

Dish up, serve with whatever you like and enjoy.