Spanish style Macaroni Cheese with Chorizo and Manchego

4.88 from 8 votes

Spanish style Macaroni Cheese with Chorizo and Manchego

Hearty comfort food at its best, this Spanish style Macaroni Cheese with Chorizo and Manchego takes the humble mac and cheese to the next level!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, British

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 890kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

300 g macaroni
1 tablespoon olive oil
150 g chorizo diced
25 g butter
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tablespoons plain flour
500 ml milk
Black pepper to taste
200 g manchego cheese (or another hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan)
50 g panko breadcrumbs
Green salad to serve

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre heat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes less than you would normally do it. This is important, or your macaroni will end up soggy and stodgy. Drain reserving a little of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a wide, oven proof saucepan or cast iron casserole dish over a medium heat and add the olive oil and chorizo. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Tip the chorizo onto a plate.
Turn down the heat and add the butter to the pan you just used for the chorizo. When the butter is melted add the onions and fry with the lid on for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions are nicely softened. Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute. Stir occasionally.
Sprinkle the plain flour over the onions/garlic and stir well, then add the milk very slowly, stirring constantly until thickened. When the sauce is roughly the thickness of double (heavy) cream, add in a few twists of black pepper, the chorizo and 150g/5oz of the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and then turn the heat off.
In a small bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining 50g/2oz of the cheese. Mix together to make the topping.
Tip the macaroni into the cheese sauce, together with about a tablespoon of the cooking water, and stir to combine. Scatter the panko topping evenly over the top and place in your preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Notes

If you don’t own an oven proof saucepan or cast iron casserole dish, simply use a regular pan and transfer the macaroni cheese to an ovenproof dish before adding the panko topping. You may find you need to cook the macaroni cheese for a little longer as a result.

Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition