Halloumi mac & cheese
An utterly addictive mac & cheese twist !
If you love mac and cheese you have to try this twist on this classic American recipe! I am switching it up by adding halloumi into the mix, which really brings up the flavour profile and adds a lovely savoury and umami note. This pasta is CREAMY, rich, cheesy and such a comforting dish you won’t be able to put your fork down! Did I also mention it is high in PROTEIN thanks to the halloumi cheese?
The secret to a creamy and rich mac and cheese is in the roux sauce base, by cooking the butter and flour for a couple of minutes you allow both ingredients to toast and develop flavour. The milk then binds everything together and allows the sauce to thicken! It’s then when you add your grated halloumi cheese and some mozzarella which is always the secret behind the stretchy texture ! At this step you can also get creative with the seasoning , some of my favourite spices to add are oregano, basil, garlic and onion powder.
This dish can be served as an appetizer, side or main dish! It is perfect for a quick and easy dinner as the sauce takes 10 minutes to make (exactly the time it takes to cook the pasta) and if you bake them in the air fryer it will be ready in less than 20 minutes!
🌱Vegetarian
🍽️ 4 portions
Ingredients
160g uncooked macaroni/elbow pasta
30g butter
20g plain flour
365g milk
160g halloumi cheese (plus extra for grating on top)
150g shredded mozarella
Optional seasoning: 1 tsp oregano, 1tsp garlic powder
Method
Cook and drain your macaroni in salted water following package instructions, making sure it is al dente. Drain and reserve some of the pasta water
Grate your halloumi with the coarse side of a grater into a bowl
In a pan over medium heat, melt your butter, then add in your spices and toast for 1 minute until fragant
Add in the plain flour and cook while stirring for 2 minutes. While stirring constantly with a whisk or spatula to avoid lumps, slowly add in your milk. Once the sauce has thickened up remove from the heat. Add your grated halloumi and mozzarella cheese, seasoning and fold in with a spatula.
Add the drained pasta into your cheese sauce and fold into the sauce combine. Here you can adjust the amount of pasta you add depending on how cheesy you want your dish to be! If it is too thick you can add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out
Transfer pasta mix to a baking dish, top with the remaining shredded cheese that you has set aside and bake in a pre heated oven at 180C for 20 minutes and then broil for 5 mins or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Otherwise bake in the airfryer 190C for 10 minutes.
FAQS and Tips
If you are feeling extra fancy I recommend adding some home made caramelised onions to the pasta mix before baking !
You can tailor the spices you want and add Italian seasoning, chilli flakes or even mustard!
You can switch up the macaroni for your favourite pasta shape, fusilli or casarecce also works well!
