Nothing beats a steaming hot bowl of mac & cheese
As far as heavenly autumnal comfort food goes, absolutely nothing beats a steaming hot bowl of creamy, gooey, sticky, umami-rich macaroni and cheese. Amirite? (I'm right).
Go on, admit it, you're salivating all over your keyboard just thinking about it, aren't you? Aren't you? Don't be embarrassed; we all are.
'Everyone recognises mac and cheese from their childhood; it's a dish your mum would cook,' says M&S product developer Matt Dawson, who has recently helped develop a serious gourmet version with lobster.
And while the classic recipe is already pretty perfect – cheesy béchamel poured over al dente pasta, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and parmesan and baked until golden - it's fun messing around with the rule book.
We've gone off-piste with everyone's favourite pasta bake, adding handfuls of crispy pancetta here, the odd chopped chilli there.
Here are our 8 favourite mac & cheese recipe hacks that, we promise, will restore your faith in humanity.
1. Mac & four cheese… maybe six
Very simply, add as many different types of cheese into the béchamel as you can get your sticky little hands on.
We love a mix of creamy Gorgonzola, stringy Tallegio, mature cheddar and pungent Parmesan, but Stilton also works well, and we never say no to Gruyère, nutty Comte or punchy Manchego.
You could even go Greek with feta and a handful of black olives. Oh go on, bung it all in. We won't tell.
Gooey, hot and comforting, mac and cheese is delicious as it is, but you can also mix the cheeses up
2. Guilt-free(ish) mac & greens
Say sayonara to any guilt you may be feeling about a dinner that is 98% cheese, 2% refined carbs by adding a few green vegetables or herbs.
Leeks work particularly well here, but broccoli, spinach, peas or even a cheeky handful of herbs such as basil or sage leaves.
Sauté firmer vegetables in butter and garlic first; stir softer ones like spinach and peas, or herbs if you're using them, straight into the mix just before you put the whole thing in the oven.
Add a handful of greens to your macaroni cheese - sage has been stirred into long mac tubes in this picture
3. Lobster & Crab Mac & Cheese
This, the true mac daddy, is how the Queen takes her mac'n'cheese. (Probably. One may have made this up but One assumes.)
The poshest plate of pasta one might ever hope to see, it's a creamily indulgent feast of cheesy macaroni, fresh lobster and Orkney crab – and the best bit about it? Marks & Spencer has done half the cooking for you. The dish (£8 for 400g) is part of Marks & Spencer's delicious new Gastropub range, developed by Matt Dawson, a former Savoy chef.
He says: 'At Hawksmoor restaurant they serve an incredible mac and cheese with lobster in little copper pans. It's wonderfully rich and indulgent, and I wanted to create something along those lines for our Gastropub range.
M&S' new Lobster & Orkney Crab Mac and Cheese is comforting and nostalgic but also super-indulgent
'In our version the lobster is raw until being cooked by the customer, which makes it really fresh and rich. The addition of crab gives the dish great balance, and means you get something amazing in each mouthful.
'We all have our own special mac and cheese recipe but crab and lobster really takes it to another, premium, level without being scary. And people really like it – my daughter loves it and my other half has even had compliments about it in the school playground!'
4. Truffled mushroom mac
Mushrooms are cheese's natural bedfellows - literally! Look at them! They're tiny adorable delicious pillows! – but particularly when combined with heaps of garlic and a pinch of thyme.
Mushrooms, particularly when sizzled with butter, garlic and thyme, are the perfect companion for pasta
Sauté halved chestnut mushrooms in butter, garlic and thyme, then add to cheesy béchamel and macaroni that has been drizzled with truffle oil to accentuate the flavour.
Any 'shroom for seconds? (Sorry.)
Adding crispy pancetta to mac and cheese along with garlicy croutons takes it to a whole new level
5. Garlicky bacon mac & cheese (chef's choice)
'Whenever I make mac and cheese at home I add crispy pancetta and croutons sautéed in butter and whole garlic cloves.
'I remove the garlic before serving so they just flavour the oil,' says Marks & Spencer's Matt Dawson. 'It's really simple and delicious, and great for the kids.'
6. Tortellini'n'cheese
Multiple cheese layering is what makes mac & cheese so exquisite: cheese melted into béchamel, stirred into pasta and then sprinkled on top.
So why not add another layer…actually INSIDE the pasta? Tortellini'n'cheese is like mac'n'cheese on steroids. In a good way. Especially if you use a four-cheese tortellini….
The Foodie Affair has a great recipe using riced cauliflower as a topping instead of breadcrumbs.
Not mac and cheese, this is TORTELLINI mac and cheese, proving you most definitely can gild a lily
7. Mac & cheese toastie
'The craziest mac and cheese I've ever tasted was in the States,' says Marks & Spencer's Matt Dawson. 'It was a brunch-themed version with bacon and baked beans and scrambled eggs on top. And it kind of worked… I'm just not sure we'll be adding it to the M&S Gastropub range….'
For an equally bonkers version that works especially well as a brunch-after-the-mac-and-cheese-dinner-the-night-before, put a layer of cold mac and cheese between two pieces of bread buttered on both sides, top with parmesan shavings or sandwich with sliced cheese, and hide inside a toasted sandwich machine for a few minutes.
Mac and cheese toastie - why not? Add cheese slices (as above), chutney, or bacon, eggs and baked beans
8. Krazy Korean mac & kimcheese
For those of you who like your food served with a kick, this Korean mac and cheese is the guy for you. It ticks the 'fashionable fermented food' box. And we've got two routes to it.
In the simple version just drain a packet of kimchi (Korean fermented vegetables, available in oriental food shops or online), using the spicy liquid to make the béchamel and then stirring the chopped kimchi into the cooked pasta.
Alternatively, follow food blogger Marnley of Cooking With Books' recipe, which pimps things out even further using sh*take mushrooms, onions, Gochujang paste and dried kimchi for added crunch. Kapow.
Mac and cheese made with kimchi, or Korean fermented vegetables, is spicy, warming, and good for you!
A GASTROPUB FEAST... WITHOUT LEAVING THE SOFA!
Draw the curtains, pull on your slippers and hibernate through autumn with Marks & Spencer's superb new Gastropub range, developed by former chef Matt Dawson.
'The recipes are more inspired than authentic,' says Matt of the menu. 'We put twists on traditional dishes.'
The new menu is all about comforting classics like Empire pie, steak and chips and coq au vin. Because you can't eat mac and cheese every night of the week. Sorry.
Ultimate Steak & Chips, £8 for 500g
You've watched them do it on Masterchef – now try it at home without buying the expensive kit: steak sous vide.
Its name is French for 'under vacuum', and it means cooking the meat in a plastic bag before searing it in a frying pan. This method ensures it's cooked exactly how you want it all the way through, without compromising on flavour.
'Cooking sous vide captures all the natural flavours, and the depth here is phenomenal,' says Matt.
It comes with triple-cooked chips and a creamy peppercorn sauce - just add a green salad for a perfect night in.
The Ultimate Steak & Chips is a highlight of the range, and involves cooking steak the Masterchef way
British Empire Pie, £4 for 400g
'A curried shepherd's pie: comforting, indulgent, and something the customer probably won't do at home,' says Matt.
The British Empire Pie is made with curried lamb sweetened with mango chutney, and topped with potato
Chestnut Mushroom & Cheddar Rarebit Tart, £5 for 450g
Puff pastry, extra mature cheddar, chestnut mushrooms: a tart we'd marry, were it socially acceptable to marry a tart.
The Coq au Vin serves two and is made with bacon, mushrooms and shallots - perfect with mashed potato
Coq au Vin, £7 for 720g
Two slow-cooked chicken legs in an unctuous sauce of wine, bacon, mushroom and shallots. Ideally served with a lovely glossy Beaujolais.
Navarin of Lamb, £8 for 530g
A navarin is a French stew usually made with lamb or mutton and vegetables, and this one is made with red wine, shallots, mushrooms, baby carrots and leeks.
'A non-traditional cut of lamb that’s deliciously tender because it’s already been cooked sous vide,' says Matt. 'Because who has time to slow-cook lamb?'
The new M&S navarin of lamb is made with red wine, shallots, mushrooms, baby carrots and leeks
Cod with Devilled Orkney Crab and Chilli Topping, £6 for 400g
Creamy, perfectly spicy, big on umami: this cod, crab, cayenne pepper and cheesy mushroom combination is the perfect marriage of flavours.
Crabmeat from Orkney is used in this spoiling M&S main course for one with a spicy chilli and cheese crumb
Three Mushroom and Potato Pie, £4 for 400g
A trio of mushrooms in a creamy Madeira sauce, topped with sliced potatoes and a cheese and oat crumble. The next best thing to a lottery win and a great option for vegetarians!
This luxury mushroom pie with a mature cheddar cheese crumble is 'the next best thing to a Lottery win'
Goats' Cheese & Red Onion Lattice En Croute, £5.50 for 400g
A gooey, cheesy veggie option with a pumpkin seed crumb for two. This, with a green salad and a nice bottle of red would do us fine
The Goats' Cheese & Red Onion Lattice En Croute makes a perfect, meat-free dinner for two
