Chicken Pot Pie with Easy Puff Pastry
A creamy chicken and vegetable pie topped with crisp puff pastry—comfort food that is easy enough for a weeknight.
Classic Macaroni & Cheese
This classic macaroni & cheese is rich, silky, and deeply savoury, made with a proper cheese sauce that clings to every piece of pasta.
Finished under the grill for a crunchy topping, it is a reliable crowd-pleaser for family dinners or a cosy weekend supper.
Method
15m30m45m
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and lightly butter a medium baking dish.
- Cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the flour, and whisk for 1-2 minutes to make a smooth roux.
- Gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth and free of lumps.
- Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, 180 g of the Cheddar, 25 g of the Parmesan, and the nutmeg, then season with salt and black pepper.
- Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce until evenly coated, then spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter evenly over the pasta.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
- Finish under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes for extra colour, then rest for 5 minutes and serve with chopped parsley if using.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Sea Salt, to taste
- 700 ml Whole Milk warm
- 40 g Parmesan finely grated
- 60 g Breadcrumbs fresh white
- 1 pinch Nutmeg freshly grated
- 220 g Mature Cheddar grated
- Black Pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 300 g Macaroni dried
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped (optional)
- 50 g Unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
- 50 g Plain Flour
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