Meatball Mac and Cheese
Our Mexican Macaroni and Cheese proved so popular that we decided that we needed another. When we asked ourselves how do we make mac n cheese better? it wasn’t long before we came up with meatballs. It really did taste as good as it looks.
For this meatball mac and cheese recipe, we used a little of our Chipotle Paste in both the meatballs and the cheese sauce giving a beautiful smoky flavour throughout the dish.
Make sure you check out our other meatball recipe ideas.
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Prep time
45 mins
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Cook time
45 mins
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Total time
1 hour 30 mins
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Ideal for
Dinner -
Make it
Mexican -
Serves
4-5
Find us in the
Mexican Section
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 150ml Milk
- 100g Panko breadcrumbs
- 300g Minced beef
- 200g Minced pork
- 1 Onion
- 1 Garlic clove
- 2tsp Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
- 2tbsp Water
- 1 Handful parsley (finely chopped)
- 1tsp Dried oregano
- 65g Pancetta/bacon lardons
- Salt
- Pepper
The Rest
- 500g Dried macaroni
- 70g Butter
- 70g Flour
- 1 heaped tbsp Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
- 150g Grated mature cheddar cheese
- 150g Mozzarella
- 2 Pints of full fat milk
- 2 Spring onions
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make it
Meatballs
- Firstly, combine the breadcrumbs with the milk and stir. Leave to soak in while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cook pancetta until cooked through. Place on a chopping board and chop finely before returning to the pan. Lower the heat.
- Add the onion and garlic to a food processor (alternatively just grate them).
- Add onion and garlic to the pancetta, along with oregano and Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste. Stir and cook for about 7-8 mins.
- Add a splash of water, stir and continue to cook until evaporated (5-6 mins). Leave to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the pancetta mixture with the soaked breadcrumbs, the minced beef and pork, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Mix well (with your hands preferably) and form into small balls (approx. 1inch in diameter). Pile on a plate and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
- Griddle, fry or roast the meatballs to give them some colour (they don’t need to be completely cooked through as they’ll be in the oven later).
Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until slightly undercooked (it will finish in the oven). Drain and add a drizzle of olive oil to prevent from sticking together.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
- Meanwhile, add butter to a frying pan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir until it forms a paste. Continue to stir while for about 5 mins (this will cook the flour and avoid the sauce having a raw flour flavour).
- Add the Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste and stir in.
- Add the milk and whisk continuously, bringing it to the boil slowly. It will begin to thicken. At this point, add the grated cheese (hold back a small handful of cheddar for the top) and stir in until melted.
- Taste a little and season to taste.
- Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce and add to oven-proof dish. Add the meatballs and push them into the pasta, leaving the tops poking out. Top with the roughly sliced spring onion and extra cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 30mins. Finish off with a blast under the grill to get the top crispy (don’t burn it!)
Please Let Us Know What You Think Of This Recipe.