Cajun Mac ‘n’ Cheese Pie

Inspired by a recipe from Marie Mitchell’s ‘Kin’. Mac n cheese pie is a traditional accompaniment to a Sunday roast in the Caribbean but here, we’re making it the star of the show, with traditional British Flavour pairing. Play around with spice pairing and cheese that you use. You can’t go wrong. You will need an ovenproof dish, approx. 26cm. Once you've prepped the dish, let the oven take care of the hard work.

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Ingredients

macaroni pasta 300 g
butter 30 g
onion 2 (sliced)
egg 2 (beaten)
milk 150 ml
mild cheddar cheese 300 g (grated)
sriracha 2 tbsp
tinned sweetcorn 100 g (drained)
cajun seasoning 1 tbsp
panko breadcrumbs 2 tbsp
crispy chilli oil 2 tsp
mixed leaf salad to serve

Method

Preheat the oven & cook the macaroni

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions, leaving it al dente (with a little bit of bite) as you’ll be finishing it in the oven. Drain once cooked.
Stir the butter through the pasta once it’s drained.

Prep the ingredients & cook the onions

While the macaroni cooks, peel and thinly slice the onion. Heat a glug of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10-15 minutes, until soft and caramelised.
Grate the cheddar. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.

Assemble the pie

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cooked onions, cheddar, sweetcorn, sriracha (you can use less or more sriracha depending on how hot you like it) and the Cajun seasoning.
Stir in the cooked pasta and mix well. Pour the filling into the lined ovenproof dish - press it down really firmly with the back of a spoon and bake the pie for 35-40 minutes.

Make the chilli crisp breadcrumbs

In a small pan, toast the panko breadcrumbs over a low heat until light golden.
Stir in the crispy chilli oil and cook for another minute then transfer from the heat.

Plate Up

Scatter over the crispy chilli breadcrumbs. Leave the pie to rest for a few minutes, portion up and serve with a mixed leaf salad. Tuck in and enjoy!

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