Our family favourite comfort food recipe – this macaroni & cheese recipe is quick and easy to make and comes with an optional crispy topping. In collaboration with Scottish Widows.
Making the best of your time
What could you do in an hour?
Lately I am finding that there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to do everything I need (or want) to do. Things need to be prioritised and other things, which might not seem that important right now but will be in the future, get pushed to the back of the pile.
I have teamed up with Scottish Widows who have been exploring the concept of time and how we can make the very most of the time we’ve got. This has got me thinking about the little things that I do at home that help me save time, and the time I take out of each day for myself to recharge and try to regain some balance in an increasingly hectic world.
Scottish Widows research
Scottish Widows has commissioned research exploring how people spend, and waste, their time, and what activities they think are valuable.
Did you know, that on average, every Brit wastes 80 minutes of every day on activities that they admit are a waste of their time? This adds up to 21 days in a year! The average Brit spends over two hours a day on social media and browsing the internet, and the top ways in which we are wasting our time are: deciding what to wear (46%); losing the car in the carpark (41%), online window shopping for clothes they can’t afford (23%), rifling through one’s handbag (35%) and watching animal videos online (17%).
As a self-employed stay at home mother and wife most of the family cooking is left to me – since I’m here, in my kitchen office, all day every day anyway.
As much as I love cooking I don’t want to spend ages standing over a hot cooker, so, for many of our regular family favourite comfort food recipes I’ve created some food hacks around them to save time and money. Things I can make in advance and then have a bit of spare time for a bike ride, or a brisk hill walk.
Here are my food hacks for maximising just one hour: the time it takes to make dinner and what I do, for me time, while that dinner is baking in the oven.
Food hack #1 – Shop local
Shop local. Your food will taste better because of it, you will be directly supporting your friends and neighbours and therefore the local economy, and with lower food miles you’ll be doing your bit for the environment.
It also saves time to use your local village or corner shop instead of driving to a supermarket.
I make my family favourite macaroni and cheese with as much local produce as I can cram into it – organic veg box leeks, Shetland milk, smoked back bacon from the Anderson butchers, bread from the Quernstone Bakery and cheddar cheese from Orkney, our nearest island neighbours to the south.
In all honesty this recipe varies depending on what kind of ingredients I can get at my local village shop, and as luck should have it this week they had a gorgeous new triple smoked cheddar cheese, but any smoked cheddar will work. I’m quite fond of Applewood too, if I can’t get Orkney cheese.
Food hack #2 – use your freezer
Freeze any leftover bacon right away instead of storing it in the fridge (and then, if you’re like me, promptly forgetting about it), and just chop off what you need for recipes from frozen. This doesn’t work if you’re wanting bacon with your fry up, but freezer bacon is perfect if you’re wanting a little bacon in a pasta dish, or fried with some steamed Brussels sprouts, etc.
Food hack #3 – avoid waste
Make your own fresh breadcrumbs. I’ve got a mini handheld food processor which makes short work out of a loaf of stale bread (gone stale, say, because you completely forgot to collect your veg box containing said loaf from the drop-off point until two days later). Pop the bread crumbs into a bag or plastic container and freeze until needed. Alternatively, you could lay them out on a baking tray and leave them to air dry for a day or two and then store in an empty jam jar.
Food hack #4 – multitask!
To save even more time, before you start preparing this recipe put a tray of frozen chunky oven chips on to cook. By the time you’ve got to the melted cheese stage, the oven chips will be ready and crying out to be dunked in a gorgeous big bowl of oozy macaroni and cheese, sitting on the couch, of course, in front of the telly.
If you’re wanting a crispy topping though, it takes only a matter of seconds to whip up, especially if you’ve got frozen bread crumbs. Just grab a handful from the freezer, mix with some cheese and melted butter, sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese and pop into the oven. To save even more time (and washing up) omit the melted butter and just dot the top with little bits of butter.
Food hack #5 – sometimes shop bought is ok
Five to ten minutes before the macaroni and cheese is ready, transfer it to the bottom rack in the oven and heat up some ready-made frozen garlic toasts on the rack above it!
While the macaroni and cheese is baking away in the oven you’ve got a full thirty minutes (you could stretch it to forty without any ill effects too!) to do what you want. Time for you!
Watch the video below to see what I did when my mac n’ cheese was in the oven!
The NHS recommends that adults take thirty minutes of exercise at least five days a week for optimum health benefits, and what better time to do this than when dinner is in the oven? Then you can feel all virtuous when you come back from your walk, rosy-cheeked and energetic, and feel like you’ve earned a proper plateful of ooey-gooey mac and cheese.
Other Macaroni & Cheese food hacks
- homemade macaroni and cheese can be frozen (before the topping is added). Defrost thoroughly before cooking.
- cook the macaroni in advance – boil a full kettle when you have your morning cuppa and cook the pasta until al dente, drain and refrigerate
- batch cook the cheese sauce. I often make a big batch and then freeze it into smaller portions for the kids, then all I need to do is cook pasta for dinner and serve with veg on the side.
- leftover grated cheese can be frozen too, and store those Parmesan rinds in the freezer for use in soups later.
- leftover macaroni cheese reheats really well on the stovetop for lunch the next day. Simply pour in a splash of milk or two and reheat over medium heat in a saucepan.
- don’t measure the ingredients. This is one of those recipes I just make by eye every time, and it saves time on washing up.
- make the sauce in the pan you are going to bake the macaroni dish in saving with washing up!
How do you feel you waste your time? What food hacks do you use to help save time? How do you make the most of an hour? Let me know in the comments!
Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon, Leeks and Peas
Ingredients
for the macaroni & cheese
- 350 grams dry elbow macaroni uncooked weight
- 1 tbsp butter
- 115 grams smoked back bacon finely diced
- 2 leeks halved and finely sliced
- 100 grams frozen peas
- 30 grams butter
- 30 grams plain flour
- 500 ml full fat milk
- 200 grams mature cheddar cheese grated
- 50 grams smoked cheddar cheese grated
- 25 grams Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
for the topping, optional
- 75 grams fresh breadcrumbs
- 40 grams mature cheddar cheese grated
- 25 grams Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp butter melted
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Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan.
- Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water for two minutes less than the packet instructions suggest. Drain & set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saute pan and fry the bacon until it begins to brown. Add the finely sliced leeks and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the frozen peas, give it a stir and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a saucepan until melted and bubbling. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in a little of the milk until combined. Slowly stir in the remaining milk and return to the heat, stirring until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and add the grated cheeses, mustard and cayenne. Stir well until the cheese has melted.
- To prepare the topping mix the ingredients together and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake, in the centre of the oven, for 30 minutes.
Video
Other recipes you might like
Lobster Macaroni & Cheese by Emily’s Recipes & Reviews
Macaroni Bake by Planet Veggie
Smoked Salmon & Leek Macaroni & Cheese by Kavey Eats
Tattie & leek soup
This is a commissioned macaroni & cheese recipe post in collaboration with Scottish Widows. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.
Review: Our Weekly Top Five Picks
This mac & cheese looks amazing! I would love to dive into all that lusciousness!
Fabulous mac ‘n cheese recipe with an amazing combination of cheeses, YUM! Love the hacks too – terrific!!
Mac N Cheese is always a winner in our house. You have truly elevated your dish to the next level. What a nice recipe to entertain with.
Adding veggies to this mac n’ cheese is a great idea, I’d love to try it with vegetarian ham, a nice comforting dish, yum! 😀
Love a good food hack! This recipes looks and sounds divine… my boys absolutely adore macaroni cheese… I make a super quick cheese sauce in my Froothie blender, boil up some macaroni with some peas at the end, then mix it all up and pour it into a thermos for a hot packed lunch. Yum! Thanks for hooking up with this month’s round of Simple and in Season xxx
What a delightful warm comfort recipe this is, bookmarking it for further use – thank you
I’ve recently discovered my love for mac and cheese and this looks super yummy!
I love macaroni and cheese, it’s one of my favourite comfort foods – I often put bacon in mine too! I’ve also never thought about freezing bacon, I’m definitely going to do that from now on as it’s something I always tend to forget about and throw away xx
Oh My Goodness!
Thanks so much for this – I want to plan cooking foods better and this will defo be on my list.
Looks amazing, might swap the peas for corn as Hayden would freak out LOL
Thanks again for sharing this hun
Charlotte x
OMG this looks like the ultimate comfort food! I love mac and cheese so would like to try it! xxx
I love macaroni cheese and we have it frequently. I Have never thought of adding bits to it though, and love the combo of bacon and leeks, so they will definitely be going in my next batch!
I make risotto with the same trio of ingredients too. It tastes lovely!
Mac&Cheese is my go-to meal! It’s easy to make, you only need a couple of pots and it freezes so well. And, well, there’s cheese.
Love the tips! In the last few weeks I’ve tried to make an effort to shop local, and it’s a bit more effort, but I find it well worth it!
Now this is mac-n-cheese done right! I’m going to try it!
I agree with you about the importance of shopping local – saves waste and helps the local community too
Your macaroni cheese looks amazing! I need to try this recipe out at home!
My favourite Mac dish at the moment is with cauliflower and kale. I blitz up leftovers for my baby who LOVES it
This looks delicious! Its such a comforting meal to have and so simple to make.
Brilliant post, I’ve never thought of adding leeks to my mac and cheese, what a good idea 🙂
I pop things in the oven and then take the dogs out for a run around our paddock …. you really feel like you’ve earned your meal after a bit of fresh air don’t you … and the dogs appreciate it too.
I love macaroni and cheese love the look of this recipe a great way to get some veg into u. Some great hacks too.
My OH would love macaroni cheese with leeks, what a great idea. I make a version with Brussels sprouts which is delicious.
woow that looks absolutely amazing, I love macaroni and cheese! I will have to try this recipe x
My kids love Mac and Cheese, this recipe looks so amazing and I just love the food photography, simply ravishing! I’m hungry again!
Shopping locally is so important to me, and it does make things easier! A good mac ‘n cheese recipe is always a winner.
i’ve never thought about freezing bacon before. this mac and cheese recipe looks absolutely amazing
This looks incredibly mouth watering!! I love pasta so much and I find cooking in my spare time very therapeutic!!
Mac and Cheese is quite possibly my favourite food ever! And love the idea of adding bacon to the mix x
What a perfect hearty meal for the winter months ahead. This looks amazing. We always shop local and support our local farmers too x
Mac and cheese must have to be the most comforting meal EVER! I love the look of this and the addition of bacon is genius.
Isn’t it! I love a big bowlful with a plate of chunky oven chips. Carb heaven! 🙂
I do find myself wasting too much time on unnecessary things that at one point was important but isn’t really. When cooking I don’t like to spend too long doing it anyone why I love one pot recipes but this dish is also delicious looking
I’m terrible for wasting time too. One pot dishes are definitely a help!
Perfect winter comfort food. I wonder what I could replace bacon and leeks with?
Extra bacon and extra leeks? 😉
I was licking my lips throughout this entire post. & love a bowl of mac and cheese and I love the twist you have put on it!
Aw thanks Rachel! 🙂
This looks SO amazing! I must try this! It’s true, I do tend to waste a lot of time, even my OH tells me off!
Thanks Sarah – me too, I’m terrible for wasting time! I’ve become an expert at procrastination over the years, lol!
Lol, great post, I too tend to lose my car in the car park. I love macaroni cheese and this looks delicious with the bacon added I make something similar using either bacon or chorizo depending on what’s in the fridge.
I tend to park my car as far as I possibly can away from where I need to be so I can get my FitBit steps up. The furthest corner of the supermarket carpark is usually pretty empty so it’s hard not to lose the car there. 😉 Chorizo would be a lovely spicy variation with this recipe, for sure!
Adding bacon to mac and cheese is always a great idea! Sounds like such a warm wintery meal x
Thanks Rhian 🙂
This looks delicious! I’d swap the bacon with Quorn bacon as I’m vegetarian, but that’s a pretty easy swap 🙂
Thanks Jazmin, that is definitely an easy swap. There’s also veggie versions of Parmesan available too!
This looks so tasty. Going to try it. Hope mine is as good as yours.
Oh I’m sure it will be! It’s a super easy recipe to make. Let me know how you get on!
What a perfect winter warmer of a dish for the colder months…comfort food at its best!
It sure is! 🙂 Thank you!
The recipe is fantastic and I love the video of you popping it into the oven and then heading off on an adventure!
Aw thanks Kate! Making the best of the time I’ve got! I always feel better after a hillwalk.
Now this is my kind of food, how delicious x
Thanks Hannah 🙂
Love the idea of a make ahead version and the bacon leeks and peas look right up my street!
Thanks Kavey! 🙂
This is like Macaroni Cheese on steroids! I LOVE IT. I like when you take a classic and add tasty extras. I would love to try this as I keep dreaming of Mac N Cheese at the moment but it can be quite boring. This would be such a better tasting experience. P.S. I just love your pictures of your food, they just make my mouth water!
Aw thanks Leah! Your comment made me smile today, thank you! 🙂
I love love love mac and cheese! I’ve never thought about adding anything else in to the recipe but I do love the sound of this one! I love the sound of bacon in it!
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
I’m a big fan of mac n’cheese too. Bacon always makes everything better – so it’s a great addition!
I do love macaroni cheese but have never actually made it myself. Your recipe sounds easy and delicious though so I will add it to my list of things to try. I do probably spend too much time online, though not watching animal videos!
It’s such a simple dish to make. I find tinned versions way too salty so I prefer to make my own.
I love macaroni cheese – this looks delicious. I love your hacks and will definitely use them, thank you. Kaz x
Glad you like the look of it! 🙂
I love mac & cheese. This sounds like a cracking variation!
Thanks Colette – it is a rather tasty version, if I do say so myself! 🙂
What a brilliant post. Full of great tips. I do a lot of these My number 1 time wasting activity is finding the blinking keys! Especially in my bag. It swallows them up I swear. Were there other people like me in this survey?? I do love a macaroni cheese. Must confess I have never made it with bacon but my girls would utterly love that. Will have to do a separate batch for them next time. Leeks and peas for me and bacon for them. I must remember your food hack about this actually. I don’t cook it as I am veggie so my husband usually eats it. I’ll keep him to chop it up and put it in the freezer next time so I can add it for the girls. genius Elizabeth. Genius. xx
Ohh food hack #5 is perfect for me! I am having a party in a few days and i always toast garlic bread in a toaster but this is such a goo idea!
I’ve never made macaroni and cheese, I was planning too, but never found good inspiritation. Then I read your post. I’m ready now! Thanks
I love the idea of adding bacon to macaroni cheese, I wouldn’t have thought of it.
Your stairs are amazing by the way, I love the patterned effect – is that paint or wallpaper?
Alana x
Oh yes please – there isn’t a mac & cheese I don’t like but your additions sound great. Anything that gives me extra time to spend with the ones I love is also a bonus.
This does look tasty. I love macaroni cheese. My husband is not a fan of white sauces so I don’t get to make it often but I love it. Need to make some now 🙂
Looks delish and the food hacks are great. Also, what a fab video! Loved it 🙂
oh my goodness, this is comfort food!! It looks so good and I was just thinking of mac and cheese.. this was perfect timing
I don’t eat meat but I can easily leave out the bacon for this one! It’s making me hungry! In an hour I get a lot done. Mainly because I have to! With a toddler on the loose, his nap time means running around like a fiend doing all the stuff I can’t do when he’s awake!
Oh man this looks so good with the bacon and the cheese and oh yes sign me up!
My daughter loves he pet videos and I have to admit to wasting lots of time online! Love your Mac & Cheese which I know my hubby would like as when I make the veggie one that the kids like he always asks where the meat is!
This looks amazing! i am going to try this recipe on my 6 year old as she is such a mac cheese fan.
Macaroni cheese is my ultimate comfort food! This looks absolutely delicious xx
Ok my mouth is now watering this looks absolutely amazing – I totally need to try it out for myself.
I have been craving mac and cheese throughout this whole pregnancy, so this is just perfect 🙂 Love the food hacks as well – especially shopping local! Sharing
I never thought to freeze bacon, that is a great tip. I love adding a bit to our pasta dishes. I definitely waste far too much time trying to find things in my handbag! X
Oh my goodness, pretty much all of my favourite things in one dish here. I definitely have to try this soon. Jo x
I love all the toppings you included in this mac and cheese! I love mac and cheese but usually feel like it’s too plain or that I need a protein so your recipe certainly makes me feel better about having a little comfort food!
T loves macaroni and cheese. I’ve never made it thoug with bacon, leeks and peas, so I’d be really interested to try this one out. It’s such a winter recipe isn’t it? Love it!
This mac and cheese looks to die for!
I was about to say that I was excited to see leeks in a recipe because you never see them here in the States and then I realized that you’re from the Shetland Islands so no wonder you thought of leeks! This looks hearty and delicious!
This post was a PLEASURE to read! Such a perfectly organized mac n cheese experience like I’ve never seen before. I totally agree with buying local and using the oven time to do multiple things at once. My husband hates cooking because he is somewhat disoriented in the kitchen – organizing things to do in an optimal way surely makes the whole thing more simpler, faster and better!
I;m making mac & cheese today — what a wonderful inspiration, and I love all the hacks!
I love mac and cheese so this is making me drool everywhere! I always pop bacon in mine, and garlic bread is the perfect accompaniment (carb heaven!!). I love the idea of getting in a quick bit of exercise while dinner’s cooking – definitely helps work up an appetite too!
What a delicious looking mac’n’cheese and good tips too. I have never thought of freezing bacon. I now really fancy some macaroni cheese.
Such a good insight into how much time we waste, preparation always makes things easier too! Who doesn’t love mac and cheese, I’d of course opt out the real bacon and put replacement but you’ve just got me wanting garlic bread also.