Recipe for Macaroni Cheese Bake

I like to cook my dinner. Because cooking is so simple and pleasurable. I find cutting vegetables and the preparing the rest of the ingredients very therapeutic. The creation is very satisfying, especially seeing it rise and simmer and browning and crispy and it smell so tantalising. It is like all the goodness of a day's work are turning into something so wonderfully tasteful, and can be eaten too.

Cooking for dinner sometime takes an hour or more. But sometime it takes less than 30 minutes. Look at this recipe for Macaroni Cheese Bake, it takes only 30 minutes to prepare and baking time is only 25 minutes. While it is baking, I will take my shower and rest, the oven will go "tiing" and you know your dinner is ready. So, I sit back, turn on my Astro, sometime light some candles, turn on the air-cond and enjoy an evening of casual dining at the comfort of my home.

Having a peaceful evening is just so simple. Moreover, I always know my time, when I will be back home and I make sure I make appointment for myself to relax and enjoy my very own evenings - and I have lots of them, hehehehe!!

Macaroni Cheese Bake
(Serves 4 if with other dishes, serves 2 if this is main course)

200g macaroni
Butter for frying
2 medium onion, chopped
Some bacon chips
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups milk
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ or more cups grated cheddar cheese
Canned tomato puree (optional – to top with cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 180º C.
2. Add macaroni to large pan of boiling water and cook until tender, drain (Tips : add salt for taste and a little oil so that macaroni won’t stick.)
3. Heat butter in a large pan; add onion and bacon. Stir until fragrant, add flour and stir for 1 minute. Add milk gradually, stir until mixture boils and thickens. Simmer over low heat for another minute. Remove pan from heat. Stir in nutmeg.
4. Add pasta and 1 cup of the cheese to pan. Stir until combined, spoon into a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. (Or you may want to add a cup of tomato puree to add to the taste.) Bake for 20 minutes.