Easy cheese & onion slice

Easy cheese & onion slice

Ingredients:

600g baking potatoes , peeled and chopped into chunks
300g mature cheddar , 200g grated, 100g cubed
pinch cayenne pepper
large bunch spring onions , finely sliced
1 egg , beaten
500g pack all-butter puff pastry
jar caramelised red onions (we used English Provender Company), to serve

Methods:

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Boil potatoes for 15 mins until tender, then drain well and smash a little. Cool slightly.
Mix the cheese, cayenne and onions with the smashed potatoes and stir to make a mouldable filling. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 25 x 35cm. Carefully lift onto a baking sheet and brush all over with beaten egg.
Press the cheese mix along one of the long sides of the pastry, leaving 2cm pastry free on one side for sealing, and half of the pastry empty on the other side for folding over later. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together, before trimming with a knife and sealing well by pressing the edges with a fork.
Brush with egg and bake for 30 mins. Cool, then slice and serve with caramelised red onions. Can be made 1 day ahead

467 kcalories, protein 16g, carbohydrate 35g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 19g, fibre 2g, sugar 1g, salt 1.37 g

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

Total Time:
55 min

Prep
15 min

Cook
40 min

Ingredients:
4 cups dried macaroni
1 whole egg
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 pound sharp Cheddar, grated (not pre-grated cheese), plus more for baking
Salt
Seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.


In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.


Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.


Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it's still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
Macaroni and Cheese and Sliders Bar:
1 pound thick-cut peppered bacon
3 yellow onions, halved and sliced
3 tablespoons butter
8 ounces gorgonzola
Cooked sliders and/or macaroni and cheese, for serving

Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.


In a separate pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low heat until caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Use a fork to crumble the gorgonzola.


Put the bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled gorgonzola into separate bowls. Serve as delicious toppings for both sliders and macaroni cheese.