Broiled Macaroni and Cheese with Tomato

Broiled Macaroni and Cheese

There are a gazillion different ways to prepare macaroni and cheese, but this is my absolute favorite.The extra cheesy sauce and broiled tomatoes add a whole new dimension of deliciousness to ordinary macaroni and cheese.

This recipe can be found in Vegetarian Fast Food: Over 200 Delicious Dishes in Minutes by Rose Elliot and serves 2.

Broiled Macaroni and Cheese with Tomato

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking elbow macaroni
• 1 or 2 medium to large tomatoes
• breadcrumbs made from 1 small slice of stale bread (I substituted Italian Bread Crumbs)
• 1 tbs finely grated Parmesan cheese

For the Cheese Sauce

• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 3 tbs finely grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground pepper 

Preparation

1) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add macaroni. Cook uncovered until macaroni is al dente.

2) Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce:  Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour.  When it froths, stir in about a third of the milk then beat well, over the heat, until it thickens.  Repeat until all the milk has been used.  Don't worry if it goes lumpy, just keep beating.

3) Let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes. Blend the mustard powder with a little water and add to the sauce, with the cheese and seasoning.

4) Heat the broiler.  When the macaroni is done, drain and add to the sauce.  Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

5) Slice the tomatoes.  Put the macaroni and cheese into a shallow heatproof dish then cover with tomato slices.  Top with a light scattering of breadcrumbs and the cheese.  Broil for a few minutes until the topping is golden brown.

This recipe is a quick, easy, and delicious.  It's comfort food at it's best.

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