I was on fire in the kitchen today! I kept meaning to use that bag of macaroni in the cupboard and today was the day.

We love macaroni & cheese in our house. To me, it's the ultimate comfort food. My youngest wasn't feeling too well so I thought she would really like some.

And the obvious way to 'local-it-up' is to incorporate one of our delicious local cheeses!

This is so easy, it feeds an army and it makes really good leftovers too! 

Lincolnshire Poacher Macaroni & Cheese

Serves 6

You will need:

A large ovenproof dish (mine was approx 13" x 9")

450g Macaroni
70g butter (plus a little extra for greasing the dish)
60g plain flour
700ml whole milk
1 dessert spoon wholegrain mustard (optional)
4 rashers thick cut unsmoked bacon (optional)
100g Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese (grated)
200g Mature Cheddar (grated)
Dried breadcrumbs (enough to cover the top)

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy in a little oil. Set aside.
Cook your Macaroni in boiling, salted water as per instructions.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. When melted, add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Cook for a minute or two, continually whisking. Gradually add in the milk, whisking all the time until you have a smooth sauce. Take off the heat and add in the mustard and grated cheese.
Once the macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. 
Place the macaroni in the greased dish with the bacon pieces. Pour the cheese sauce over and mix to combine.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and place under a medium grill until golden brown 
and bubbling.

Happy Eating!

http://www.lincolnshirepoachercheese.com/