Mary Berry has devised a macaroni cheese recipe that actually tastes better when frozen beforehand, providing a home-cooked meal ready to enjoy whenever needed. In her cookbook 'Mary 90', the cook said: "My husband and I love macaroni and cheese for supper, so I often make batches and freeze them in two portion dishes.
"I rarely cook things straight from frozen, but this is one dish that works brilliantly. Be sure to make the sauce to this exact recipe; it seems runny but, when it is cooked from frozen, it works perfectly."
Why freezing improves the dish
Pasta dishes frequently dry out when frozen, as they tend to absorb much of the sauce, resulting in a rubbery and unappetising meal upon reheating. Nevertheless, Mary Berry has deliberately made this macaroni cheese considerably runnier than is customary, ensuring the sauce thickens correctly when cooked straight from frozen.
The recipe also requires a lengthier baking time in the oven, which allows the ingredients to meld together and the cheese topping to crisp up properly without the sauce becoming overdone. This macaroni cheese recipe will still turn out more delicious if you freeze it beforehand, while remaining straightforward to prepare, making it ideal for meal prepping with minimal effort.
You can also prepare this dish without freezing it first should you prefer, though bear in mind the sauce will be runnier and less thick than intended.
How to make better macaroni and cheese
You will need (for four to six servings): 150g of macaroni pasta, 55g of butter, 55g of plain flour, 900ml of hot milk, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 200g of mature Cheddar cheese (100g for the sauce and 100g for the topping), 55g of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Method: To start, place the pasta in a pot of cold salted water and cook following the packet instructions. Once fully cooked, drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water and drain it once more. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir until a paste forms.
Warm the milk and gradually stir it into the saucepan until a thin sauce forms. At this stage, it should not be thick. Add the mustard, black pepper, cheddar cheese, parmesan and a pinch of salt to the sauce, then stir in the drained pasta. Pour the macaroni cheese into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.
You can now either bake the macaroni cheese straight away or cover the dish with clingfilm and freeze it, where it will keep for up to three months. It is worth noting that this recipe is best cooked straight from frozen; if defrosted, the pasta may absorb too much sauce, leaving it unpleasantly soggy.
To cook the macaroni from frozen, preheat the oven to 200 °C, 180 °C for fan ovens or Gas Mark 6. Remove the clingfilm and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The macaroni cheese should emerge from the oven bubbling in the centre, beautifully golden on top and tasting indulgent without requiring hours of preparation in the kitchen.
