RECIPE IDEAS cheesy

easy cheesey recipes to celebrate national cheese day on June 4th ... not that we needed more reasons to eat it

Beer Mac ‘N’ Cheese

(Makes 4)

Ingredients

• 50g butter

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 50g spinach

• 500ml milk

• 250ml pale ale

• 200g macaroni

• 100g cheddar, grated

• 200g mozzarella, grated

ONE Heat the grill to its highest setting. In a flameproof casserole dish or metal frying pan, melt the butter and fry the garlic for 2 mins. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, about 2 mins. Pour in the milk and beer and bring to a gentle bubble. Add the macaroni and stir intermittently for around 20 mins until the pasta is cooked and covered in sauce.

TWO Stir in the cheddar and half the mozzarella. When it starts to melt, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and put it in the oven for around 7-10 mins or until browned on top and sensational underneath.

Classic Cheese Scones

(Serves 5-6)

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

• pinch of salt

• pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 55g chilled butter, cut into cubes

• 120g mature cheddar, grated

• 90-100ml milk, plus 1 tbsp for glazing

ONE Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking tray inside. Sift the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a bowl, then sift again to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

TWO Add the butter to the bowl and combine with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 100g of the cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub together until evenly distributed. Try not to mix too much as the heat from your hands may start to melt the butter.

THREE Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in enough milk to give a fairly soft but firm dough. Do not pour in all the milk at once as you may not need it all to get the right consistency.

FOUR Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a medium (about 8cm) cutter, then put on a sheet of baking parchment, glaze with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Slide onto the hot oven tray.

FIVE Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.

Caramelised Onion Sausage

Rolls Makes - 8

• 6 pork sausages

• 2 tbsp caramelised onion chutney

• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tbsp chopped thyme

• 320g sheet puff pastry

• 1 beaten egg

• ½ tbsp poppy seeds

ONE Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Squeeze the meat from the sausages into a bowl and mix with the chutney, mustard and thyme. Unravel the pastry and roll out until one side measures 43cm.

TWO Arrange sausagemeat down the centre of the pastry. Use the egg to brush along the bottom of the pastry. Bring the pastry around the meat, and seal the edges with a fork, then cut into eight. Brush with a little more egg and sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and cook for 25 mins or until golden.