Macaroni Cheese with Cauliflower and Broccoli

I have been collecting the free recipes that they pass out in Waitrose over these past seven years. I have always found them to be really delicious and quite easy to prepare. I have a whole box filled with them. I really need to sit down and catalogue them I suppose, but that can wait now until I have finished moving.

I don't always make them as written, but have found that, in a lot of cases, they make a good canvas upon which to work and create from. I often change this or that in them, and end up with something completely new, and even more delicious. I like it when you can do that with recipes.

This was one that they came out with just recently. I switched a few things here and there, but I thought it sounded really good. I love cauliflower cheese and broccoli with cheese sauce and I adore Macaroni Cheese. There was very little not to like about this recipe!

Unless you are Todd and you are not fond of pasta, but you know what they say . . . You can't always have things that you like. Sometimes you have to have something you are not fond of, just to please your wife . . . you know . . . coz she likes pasta . . . she really, really likes pasta and you love her . . . and well, sometimes you just got to do what you just got to do!

We had this simply with some grilled Bacon Chops. It was fabulous, absolutely fabulous! You could charge it up a bit and use a snappier cheese. I am thinking a gorgonzola would be just wonderful!

*Macaroni Cheese with Cauliflower and Broccoli*

Serves 4

Like Macaroni and Cheese? Like Cauliflower Cheese? Like Broccoli with Cheese Sauce? Then you will love this! Nuff Said.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 8 minutes until just tender. Place the cauliflower and broccoli in a steamer (or sieve) and set over the pasta for the last 5 minutes until almost tender. Drain the pasta and place in a lightly buttered 1.75 litre ovenproof baking dish with the vegetables, mixing them together.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute until thick, then off the heat gradually whisk in the milk, keeping the mixture smooth. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until thickened. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, mustard and seasoning and pour over the pasta and vegetables.

Mix together the bread or cracker crumbs, melted butter and grated cheese. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the macaroni mixture. Bake in the heated oven for 20–25 minutes until the top is crisp and golden. Serve as it is, or with grilled or roasted meats.