My sister gave me some slices of ham to take home after our Easter Dinner on Sunday. I wanted to use some of them up in a very simple way. I love ham fried in bit of butter. It goes good with eggs as a tasty alternative to bacon and it also makes a nice burger filling or supper dish.
On this day I fried a slice of ham (there is only myself) in a bit of butter for my supper and then made a delicious Macaroni and Cheese to serve on the side, along with some steamed vegetables.
This Gourmet Mac and Cheese recipe is the BEST Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. It does make four servings however and I just didn't want to end up with all that leftover mac and cheese.
Not that I don't love mac and cheese. I do. But I am trying really hard to reign thing in these days, live within my budget, and I just can't eat all that extra food myself. I downsized the recipe to make only one serving.
It worked out very successfully and made just enough to fill my one pint pie dish. I bought this pie dish at Walmart and I find that I use it a lot. It is just the perfect size for meals for myself.
You can also buy them on Amazon, but they are appreciably more expensive than they are at Walmart.
The mac and cheese is really simple to make. You make a rich cheese sauce, stir in cooked pasta. Usually I would use tubular but on this day I used fusilli. Pop it into the baking dish, top with buttered crumbs and more cheese and bake until everything is lovely and bubbly jubbly.
While it was baking I pan fried my ham and steamed myself some vegetables to enjoy on the side. To pan fry my ham, I sprinkled it with a tiny bit of brown sugar and some dry mustard powder on each side and browned it lightly in a bit of butter, just until golden and heated through.
It all went together beautifully!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ULTIMATE MACARONI & CHEESE FOR ONE
You can vary the cheese according to what you have on hand and what you enjoy. Just bear in mind you want cheeses that are filled with loads of flavor! This is no time to use a mild cheddar.
- fine sea salt
- 2 ounces of maccheroni pasta (macaroni or some other tubular pasta, or even fusilli) (scant half cup/56g)
- 1/2 TBS unsalted butter
- 3 TBS soft white bread crumbs, mixed with 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 2 TBS of finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 TBS plain flour
- 1 cup (120ml) of whole milk, gently warmed
- 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
- 4 TBS grated Comte cheese (can use gruyere)
- 2 TBS grated taleggio cheese (can use gouda or havarti)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- pinch of ground nutmeg
Normally I would use a tubular shaped macaroni. Something which has little hollows to hug all of that cheese sauce. I had run out on this particular day and so I used fusilli which serves the same purpose. It has loads of little nooks and crannies to hold in all that sauce.
I used a good strong cheddar, taleggio, parmesan and Comte cheese. I adore Comte cheese. I really enjoy slicing off small slivers of it and just munching on it.
You could also use a good strong cheddar, Edam or Gouda, Parmesan and an Emmenthaler cheese if they are easier for you to find.
I am reminded of the cheese shop in the Chester market when I first moved to Chester in the UK. They used to sell bags of cheese crumbs for 99p, a real bargain. They sold really good cheeses, and you just knew that they were going to be really flavor filled cheese crumbs.
Perfect for using in macaroni and cheese and for cheese on toast!
HOW TO MAKE ULTIMATE MACARONI & CHEESE FOR ONE
If you can make a cream sauce, then you can make this. It is hardly any trouble at all!
Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in lightly salted water. Drain well, rinse in cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour in and allow to cook over low heat for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk.
Cook and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and thickens.
Mix together all of the cheeses. Stir in all but two TBS of the cheese. Whisk and stir until all of the cheeses have melted and the sauce is smooth.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the cooked pasta.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a small shallow baking dish. (I used a small pie dish.) Pour in the pasta and cheese sauce.
Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs in the center of the dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese around the edges of the dish. Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.
This really was a delicious supper and was perfectly sized just for me. There is no reason at all if you live on your own for you not to have an enjoyable supper. With just a little bit of effort you can very easily sit down to a nutritious and tasty meal!
This went so well with the ham. I steamed a serving of string beans and carrots and was really happy with my meal!
Some other recipes in my kitchen which are perfectly sized for just one person are:
LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN FOR ONE - A delicious moist and tender piece of chicken that marinades for a short time in a flavor filled tenderizing marinade before roasting to perfection in the oven. I use chicken breasts for this and have never had a dry one. Simply beautiful.
SINGLE SERVE GROUND BEEF MEALS - How to turn one pound of ground beef into four different and delicious meals for just one person. Glazed Meat Loaf and Mash. Maritime Poutine. Cottage Pie and Ground Beef Nachos. Each a delicious dish all in their own right!
Yield: 1
Macaroni and Cheese for One
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Ingredients
- fine sea salt
- 2 ounces of maccheroni pasta (macaroni or some other tubular pasta, or even fusilli) (scant half cup/56g)
- 1/2 TBS unsalted butter
- 3 TBS soft white bread crumbs, mixed with 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 2 TBS of finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 TBS plain flour
- 1 cup (120ml) of whole milk, gently warmed
- 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
- 4 TBS grated Comte cheese (can use gruyere)
- 2 TBS grated taleggio cheese (can use gouda or havarti)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in lightly salted water. Drain well, rinse in cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour in and allow to cook over low heat for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk.
- Cook and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and thickens.
- Mix together all of the cheeses. Stir in all but two TBS of the cheese. Whisk and stir until all of the cheeses have melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the cooked pasta.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a small shallow baking dish. (I used a small pie dish.) Pour in the pasta and cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs in the center of the dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese around the edges of the dish. Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
The Mac and Cheese look yummy...very much so!! I LOVE those kind of veggies too, here at Aldis they sell just that mix called Prince Edward Medley!! I add a bit of my kind of butter (Miyokos) and a bit of fake Parmesan Cheese (a couple companies make it)...which would also taste fine with the Mac and Cheese too, as I can no longer eat milk products.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth xoxo
I love mac & cheese, and am so glad you shared a recipe for one. I will use gluten free pasta and the rest of your ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying your smaller recipes that serve 1 or 2. I don't always want a huge dish of something that tempts me for days on end. This is definitely yet another recipe I intend to try!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just wanted to let you know that your photography skills are superb! Your pictures are just lovely and a pleasure to look at--they really showcase your cooking!