Turn up at any hut and you’ll inevitably see the infamous mac ‘n’ cheese on someone’s stove. And why not, it’s one of the all-time-great comfort-food recipes. But if you’re going to do macaroni and cheese, there’s no need to resort to one of those awful packet mix things – it’s cheaper, healthier and tastier to do it yourself. Here’s how:

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Serves: Two

Weight: 570g

Volume:  0.5L

Kilojoules:  9,200

Cost: $4.69

Time: 30min

Ingredients

250g elbow macaroni

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup white flour

40g butter

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup milk (from powder)

100g sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper

Method

Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil and then cook until it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter over a low heat and add the flour, simmer for about a minute, then gradually whisk in the milk with a fork. Simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir in the grated cheese and mustard, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, add the cooked macaroni back into the pot and combine thoroughly, stir in the sundried tomatoes and serve.