Homestyle Veggie Macaroni and Cheese

By Tejal Hewitt @Tejal_x

There is nothing like the comfort food of good ol' Mac & Cheese in the southern style twist! I basically created this myself and have made it for years and thought I would share this indulgent warm hearty comfort food loaded with cheese.

My homestyle macaroni and cheese have added veggies to help tip the balance of not having just 'yellow food' or fat and carbs! You can add your favourite vegetables into this dish.

If you like you Mac and Cheese saucy then this is a recipe for you, as in American Southern Mac & Cheese is always more baked and less saucy.

This is a the ultimate delicious cheesyness on a plate with the creamy sauce and baked cheese on top just makes this meal perfect! Please note, most people and kids have always gone in for second helpings!

Ingredients
75g butter
75g flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups milk
300g cheddar cheese
210g pasta
1 small red bell pepper
1 small red onion
60g peas
60g Sweetcorn
Handful of baby plum tomatoes

Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat.

Add salt, pepper and flour to the melted butter.

Stir the flour into the butter and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Slowly pour in a little milk into the flour butter mixture.

Stir until the milk is absorbed into the flour mixture, then add a little more milk and follow this process until all the milk has been incorporated.

Continue to cook the milk mixture to bring the heat back into the pan.

Add in 3/4 of the cheese to sauce.

Stir until all the cheese as melted, and the sauce is a nice thick smooth mixture.

Add cooked small pasta to a baking dish with some peas, onions, cherry tomatos, sweet corn and red pepper.

Pour over the cheese sauce and stir.

Sprinkle over the top the remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins as 200c until the cheese is golden brown.