Antipasto Mac n Cheese

This is very loosely based on a pasta bake recipe from Taste.com.au. I've made this before, as the original incarnation - learning from this experience, this time I used regular pasta, and just doubled the amount I'd use to feed my family. (Which is a full pack per meal!) This recipe will make 2 pasta bakes, or one pasta bake, and 4 1/2 bowls of pasta. (I couldn't be bothered with the bake bit tonight lol)

Antipasto Mac n Cheese
1kg pasta
120g butter
1/2 cup plain flour
4 cups milk
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
250g rindless bacon, diced
250g fire roasted capsicum
1 stick celery, sliced thinly
150g semi dried tomato strips, drained
100g baby spinach
3 tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, following packet directions until tender.

Meanwhile, fry bacon and celery in a saucepan, until golden. Add the capsicum and tomato strips and stir for a few more minutes. Put into a covered bowl and set aside.

Melt butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. When foaming, add flour. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add half the milk SLOWLY while whisking until smooth. Add remaining milk and whisk to combine. Return pan to high heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil and thickens. (it's probably longer because there is more sauce) Remove from heat.

Stir in 2 cups cheese and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Tip in bacon mixture. If mixture has liquid pooling in the bottom of the bowl, strain that off first. Mix gently through the sauce, then fold in spinach. The heat will wilt down the spinach, so just be patient with it.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce. Stir to combine. Spoon into 2 7-cup capacity baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Uncooked (or cooked) pasta bakes can be frozen in a baking dish if covered. Allow to defrost thoroughly before cooking as directed.

Mt kids are such foodies. Here is Master One picking out his semi dried tomatoes, so he can eat them first!

Cheesy ham and macaroni bake

Recipe here.
The recipe called for 2 1/2 cups of macaroni, making it 5 cups, since I was making a double batch. But unfortunately 500g only equals just under 4 cups. This might have been a little more filling with that little bit more pasta. Serves 8, my well padded posterior! But we discussed this over dinner, and since the recipe was for cold pasta slice for lunches, we allowed that lunch serves can be smaller since they come with fruit and a juice box, and that eating it hot might serve 4 adults. When feeding 3 adults and two toddlers, you'll need dessert.

Despite an initial refusal to eat from Master Three because it "smells yuck" (smelled fine to the rest of us) I had to act quick to get a close up, since I forgot before dishing up. Again. I think I need a post-it note or sign on my crockery cupboard reminding me to take a photo before dishing up. As you can see, you almost missed out. ;)

The second batch (which I actually cooked first, earlier this afternoon) is sitting in the freezer, and will make a nice light meal with dessert, perhaps fruit salad or something else not too greasy, to counteract all the cheese, or a rather hearty meal for us, on a night when the housemate is not home.