We know plenty of people have started adding ham and bacon to their macaroni cheese. We bulked ours up with brown mushrooms, eggs and smoked paprika. Keep it vegetarian and try our smoky mac & cheese for dinner tonight.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
85g butter
⅓ cup flour
1L milk
200g mature cheddar, grated
Salt and pepper
250g brown mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil, to fry
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chopped thyme
500g macaroni, cooked as per packet instructions
2 eggs
1 tbsp chopped parsley

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Place the butter and flour in a pot. Cook for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk slowly, while whisking.
3. Simmer the sauce over low heat until it thickens. Add two-thirds of the cheese and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Fry mushrooms in oil until browned, 10 minutes. Season well and add paprika and thyme.
5. Stir the mushrooms through the cooked pasta, along with the white sauce, eggs and parsley.
6. Spoon into an ovenproof dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20–30 minutes.