Chipotle Meatball and Cheese Mac

Chipotle Meatball and Cheese Mac

The leaves are turning amber and falling from the trees, and the clocks go back in a couple of weeks. It's most definitely time to wrap in a proper coat and scarf, and enjoy some autumn warmer food. 

Cheese company Pilgrims Choice has rustled up a few recipes to cheer us up at the end of the darker days, with great ideas for everyone.

Chipotle Meatball and Cheese Mac
Prep: 25 mins
Cooking:20 mins
Serves: Four

Ingredients:

  • 400g minced steak 
  • 30g chipotle paste 
  • 400g cooked macaroni tossed in olive oil 
  • 700ml whole milk 
  • 22g butter 
  • 22g flour 
  • 40g double cream 
  • 130g Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature Cheddar (for the sauce and crumb) 
  • 2g chopped chipotle chilli 
  • 50g chunky ciabatta crumbs 
  • 15g olive oil 
  • 1g chilli flake 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

  1. Mix the minced steak and chipotle paste together and season 
  2. Split the mixture into 16 evenly sized meatballs, place on a roasting tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180c for 8-10 minutes or until cooked. 
  3. For the sauce, melt 22g of butter in a saucepan then stir in the 22g of plain flour together to make a roux. 
  4. Mix until it starts to go brown, then pour into a bowl until you are ready to use. 
  5. Mix the milk, cream and chipotle chilli together and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the butter roux and cook out. 
  6. Grate in 100g of cheddar and cook for about 4-5 minutes. 
  7. For the cheese crumb mix, simply mix the chunky ciabatta crumbs, remaining cheddar crumbled into crumbs, olive oil and chilli flakes together and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
  8. Mix the pasta with the sauce and place into an oven proof dish. Top with the meatballs, and sprinkle over the crumb topping. 
  9. Bake in a preheated oven 180c for 20 minutes until golden brown, and serve with a mixed salad.


Smoked Cheddar and Haddock Fishcakes

Prep: 15 mins
Cooking: 12 mins
Serves: Four

Ingredients:

  • 35g salted butter 
  • 500g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and mashed 
  • 5g garlic, chopped 
  • 10g flat leaf parsley, chopped 
  • 80ml double cream 
  • 200g smoked Pilgrims Choice cheddar 
  • 250g poached smoked haddock, flaked 
  • 35g capers, chopped 
  • 60g egg, finely chopped 
  • 4 egg yolks 
  • 40g panko crumbs

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients, apart from the panko crumbs and 20g of the butter, together and shape into 4 cakes. 
  2. Coat the cakes in panko crumbs by pressing down hard into the cake. 
  3. Heat a frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and pan fry the cakes until golden brown. Then add the remaining butter to the pan and finish sealing the cakes for a few minutes. Keep the cakes moving otherwise they will stick. 
  4. To serve: remove the fish cakes from the pan and drain on kitchen towel, then serve with tartar sauce and a side salad of watercress.


Pulled Pork and West Country Cider Gravy with Potato and Apple Topping

Prep: 3 hours
Cooking: 15 mins
Serves: Four

Ingredients:
For the pork:

  • 400g slow cooked pulled pork(cooked for 3 hours on 170c) 
  • 120g crumb mix topping 
  • 400g cooked new potatoes crushed with chopped parsley and olive oil 
  • 2 Granny Smith apples cut into eighths and char grilled

For the crumb mix:

  • 50g fresh bread crumbs 
  • 70g crumbled award winning vintage cheddar cheese 
  • Milled black pepper

Crumble the breadcrumbs and cheese together and season with black pepper.

For the West Country cider sauce:

  • 35g butter 
  • 4 shallots fine diced 
  • 300 ml West Country cider 
  • 15g flour 
  • 300ml pork juices (from slow cooked pork) 
  • 30ml beef stock reduction (you can use a knorr stock pot rich stock) 
  • 100ml double cream

Method:

  1. Melt 20g butter in a hot saucepan, add shallots and cook until soft. Add the cider and reduce by half. 
  2. While waiting for the sauce to reduce, make a roux by melting 15g of butter in a separate pan and stirring in 15g of flour. Stir together until they start to go brown and set aside. 
  3. Add the pork juices and beef glaze and reduce by half again. Then add the roux and cook out for 2 minutes. 
  4. Finish with the cream and cook for a further 3 minutes, then chill. 
  5. Crumble the breadcrumbs and cheese together and season with black pepper. 
  6. Mix the pulled pork with the sauce and transfer to an oven proof dish. 
  7. Top with the grilled apples and crushed potato, finish with the crumb mix and bake 180c for 15 minutes until golden brown, and serve.

 

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