You're probably wondering what the Japanese "twist" is to this most un-Japanese of dishes. Well, it's really simple - instead of making a bechemel sauce, cooking macaroni and then assembling for a bake in the oven, the Japanese method cooks everything in a frying pan on the hob - all in one go, making it easier and quicker to prepare a delicious mac'n'cheese gratin for your table. Being a Japanese take, there are always more vegetables involved than you might expect - for this recipe, I used cauliflower and brussel sprouts although leek and brocolli are also popular variations back in Japan. This dish makes for a great (and filling) winter warmer for those chilly evenings. It can be ready in 30 minutes and with the vegetables already in the mix, it doesn't even need any accompaniments. You won't need any special ingredients either apart from some Japanese panko breadcrumbs. (You can make do with normal breadcrumbs but I find "panko" breadcrumbs brown a lot better and tend not to burn.)
You can make this dish either as a mac'n'cheese or go a step further (as I do here) and make it into a gratin by adding a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and toasting under a hot grill for a few minutes. Either way, you get a really quick, easy and delicious macaroni dish for your table.
So, if you'd like to discover an easy route to a macaroni cheese, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese One Pan Macaroni Cheese Gratin or by scrolling to the end of the page. The written recipe is just below.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
1/2 medium onion
10 brussel sprouts
140g / 5oz califlower florettes, rinse
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt and a little pepper
140g / 5oz macaroni
140g / 5oz cheddar cheese*
25g / 1oz butter
350ml / 12floz milk
150ml / 5 floz water
30g /1oz plain flour
1/2 tsp mustard
2 tsp Panko Breadcrumbs
some dried or fresh parsley for topping
*I use a generous quantity of cheddar cheese in this recipe for a really rich tasting result. If you wish to reduce the cheese to, say, 120g, then by all means do so - it will still taste great.
how to:
first, cut the onion into slices
remove the stalk and the outer leaves from the brussel sprouts and cut them all in half
cut the cauliflower florettes into small pieces
heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the slices of onion for about 2 minutes. add the sprouts and the cauliflower. season with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. give everything a quick stir and then turn off the heat
combine the milk, water and plain flour in a measuring jug or large bowl. whisk well
add the mustard, butter, macaroni and the milk mixture to the frying pan
turn the heat back on and cook while stirring over a medium heat for 11-13 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked. add the cheddar cheese and stir the cheese until melted
turn off the heat. transfer the macaroni cheese to an oven proof dish. sprinkle with some panko breadcrumbs
grill for 2-3 minutes or until the breadcrubs are lightly browned
top with a sprinkling of parsley
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