This rich, comforting meal just screams autumn, and it’s so easy to throw together thanks to the humble air fryer.
Now that the nights are drawing in, the idea of spending a long time in the kitchen after work becomes even less appealing. This is when having a few quick and easy recipes to hand can be a real lifesaver.
If you own an air fryer, this task becomes even easier. These nifty devices are fantastic for whipping up tasty meals in no time, and it turns out you can even recreate your favourite pasta dishes in them – such as macaroni cheese.
This rich, comforting dish is the epitome of autumnal food, and it takes just 20 minutes to cook in the air fryer.
According to the food gurus at Good Food, making your macaroni cheese in the air fryer gives it a ‘lovely crisp topping’ that complements the creamy, cheesy sauce perfectly.
You only need a few ingredients to make this dish, most of which are likely already in your cupboard like breadcrumbs, flour and mustard. The sauce is eays to make, then it’s simply a matter of combining it with the pasta and air frying until it’s golden and bubbling, reports the Express.
Here’s everything you need to create this comforting meal.
Air fryer macaroni cheese
Ingredients
- 250g macaroni
- 300ml whole milk
- 30g butter
- 30g plain flour
- 65g mature cheddar, grated
- One tsp English mustard
- 30g panko breadcrumbs
Method
Follow the pack instructions to cook the pasta, drain it, then set it aside.
Heat the milk in the microwave or a small pan until it’s just starting to steam, then melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, stir in the plain flour until it’s combined and cook for one minute. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly, until it’s all combined.
Once it starts to bubble, let it cook for a minute before taking it off the heat. Stir in all but a small amount of the cheese, along with the mustard, and mix until the cheese has melted.
Transfer the pasta into a heatproof dish that will fit into your air fryer and pour over the cheese sauce, giving it a good stir to combine.
Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheddar and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Heat in your air fryer at 180C for 15-20 mins until the breadcrumbs are golden and the mac and cheese is bubbling.
