There aren't too many things that make you feel better than eating homemade macaroni and cheese... One of them could be this simple baked mac & cheese that takes comfort food to a whole new level! With a crispy bread crumb topping and golden baked cheese, it's something extra special.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I love mine with loads of fresh black pepper...

Serves: 8
Prep time: 1 hour (+ 20 mins baking time)

Ingredients:

• 400g uncooked macaroni pasta
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 500ml milk
• 250g grated cheese (or tasty, parmesan, vintage blend)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 75g fresh breadcrumbs or panko bread crumbs
• 50g grated parmesan, extra
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, extra

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Cook macaroni according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter until sizzling. Remove from heat and add flour, stirring to smooth lumps. Stir in mustard. Return to heat and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add milk, stirring between additions to avoid any lumps. Return to heat and cook, stirring, for 15-20 minutes or until thick. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and add cheese, thyme, salt and pepper and stir until all cheese has melted.
3. Add cooked macaroni pasta to the sauce in the pot and stir to combine well. Spoon into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and extra parmesan and thyme leaves. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden and toasted.

Perfect for weekday lunches or quick and easy dinner!

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Notes:

• This is a very basic macaroni and cheese recipe, but one that's a little more interesting than the quick side dish we are all used to.
• You can replace the dijon mustard with seeded mustard or English or even American. They all taste delightful with various cheese combinations!
• You can use many combinations of cheese in your mac and cheese. We use mostly Australian Tasty cheese, Grana Padano, Parmesan and vintage cheddars. But you can use any nice melting cheese you like. 
• We make our own breadcrumbs from the leftover bread crusts and have a container in the freezer we continually add to and take from. This recipe only uses about 2 slices of bread so you can easily make your own in a food processor. Or, you can tear the bread by hand or cut it into small cubes, like croutons, and scatter them over the top!
• Thyme is used in this recipe because it is my favourite herb and I have plenty in the garden. There are other herbs you can try like sage, oregano or chives that can give you an extra dimension to your mac and cheese!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese is one of our all-time family favourite meals. It's warm and comforting and easy to make or customise to your liking. We often make a double batch and store half for weekday lunches and after school munchies! I really hope you enjoy this tasty take on the humble mac and cheese. Let me know what you think in the comments below.