Baked Mac and Cheese no flour, butter or roux

A homemade baked Mac and Cheese made without flour, butter or a roux sauce is just as tasty. I've used creme fraiche to replace the traditional cheese sauce. Not only is it much quicker to prepare, it is also lighter. Alternatively, you can use a soft cream cheese. Both options make a delicious sauce but are super simple. I've added in plenty of vegetables to create a great one pot dish and topped it all off with some grated cheese and breadcrumbs. If you're looking for a dairy free or vegan mac and cheese, I've also tried and tested this recipe with vegan products. See the section below for more details.

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• More Comfort Food Recipes
• How to make Vegan or Dairy Free Macaroni Cheese
• Recipe Tips and Variations
• How to make it
• Sustainability
• Storage
• Reheating Mac and Cheese in the Oven
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More Comfort Food Recipes

You might also like these easy comfort food recipes, as always designed with busy people in mind who love great food but don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.

How to make Vegan or Dairy Free Macaroni Cheese

As we've already done away with the traditional cheese or roux sauce, there is very little else you need to change to make this macaroni cheese suitable for vegans or those on a dairy free diet. You can replace the creme fraiche with a vegan yoghurt alternative. The one I used was coconut milk based. Adding in a teaspoon of mustard and the vegan cheese gives it a good cheesy flavour and disguises the coconut taste. You can also easily substitute the cheddar cheese for a vegan cheddar flavoured cheese. Some vegan cheeses melt better than others. I used one that had a fairly strong flavour. A vegan cheese won't brown on the top in the same way that a dairy based cheese does, but still provides a great topping.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Macaroni. When cooking the macaroni pasta noodles, you should cook until they are almost done but still have a little bit of bite. This is because the macaroni will continue to cook in the oven.

Vegetables. I've added leeks, broccoli and sweetcorn to this baked macaroni cheese but you could choose other vegetables such as peas or kale or cauliflower. Dice up the broccoli stalks as well as the florets so nothing is wasted. Adding vegetables not only means extra nutrition, but makes it more economical. Plus it turns it into a great one-pot dish and adds some colour to the plate.

Creme Fraiche. Using creme fraiche for the sauce in place of a traditional roux or cheese sauce not only makes this dish quicker to prepare, it also means it is lighter. You could even use a low fat creme fraiche for an even lower calorie version. As an alternative to creme fraiche, you could use a soft cream cheese. Just stir the cream cheese with the cooked leeks until it has melted. If you need a non dairy option then see the note about how to make a Vegan Macaroni Cheese.

Cheese. For the mac and cheese topping, I've used grated cheddar cheese. When using a cheese in cooking, it's best to grate it yourself. This is because ready grated cheese contains anti-caking agents to stop it all clumping together in the bag. This also unfortunately means it doesn't always melt that well. I like to use a mature cheddar cheese as it has more flavour. Grating it yourself is also cheaper and means you can reduce your plastic.

Breadcrumbs are optional but add a nice bit of crunch to the topping. They are also a great way of using up bread that is past it's best. I usually just put a slice in a food blender to quickly turn it into breadcrumbs. You can also freeze breadcrumbs and use them straight from frozen so this is a useful way to avoid foodwaste.

How to make it

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6
2. Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions until it is almost done, then drain it. Leave the macaroni noodles a little 'al dente' or not quite done as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
3. Add the broccoli to the pasta water for the last 2 minutes. Don't forget to dice the stalks and use these as well so you have no waste.
4. Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large frying pan and fry the leek over a medium heat for around 8 minutes until soft.
5. Stir the dijon mustard into the creme fraiche and add half the grated cheese. Alternatively, you can use a soft cream cheese.
6. Mix the cooked leeks together with the macaroni, broccoli, sweetcorn, and creme fraiche, or cream cheese and season with salt and pepper. A cream cheese will need a few minutes to melt and properly coat the other ingredients.
7. Pour it into an oven proof dish.
8. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. If you are using a large dish, you may need a little more grated cheese. Make sure the top is lightly covered in cheese to keep the pasta from burning.

Sustainability

Using vegetables in season and buying from local sources will help to reduce your carbon footprint. Adding breadcrumbs to the topping is a helpful way to use up leftover bread and reduce footwaste. If you're looking to reduce the amount of dairy you eat, you can easily make this recipe dairy free or vegan. Reducing our dairy consumption is an important way we can lower our carbon footprint.

Storage

Baked macaroni cheese will keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. Because we have used creme fraiche instead of a roux sauce, it won't freeze so well as the creme fraiche tends to separate and take on a grainy texture when frozen. This doesn't mean it isn't safe to eat, but the texture will not be as good.

Reheating Mac and Cheese in the Oven

You can reheat a single portion in the microwave or reheat in the oven. Cover the top with foil to prevent the top buring and reheat at 200C /400F for about 20 minutes until piping hot.

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