I like to cook, but I’ve never posted a recipe before. Don’t worry, there won’t be a lot of preamble, like you get on most internet recipes. You don’t need my life story, just how to cook this delicious dish that I came up with myself. I’ve blended the traditional flavours of Welsh Rarebit, with a classic mac and cheese. It’s really tasty. And you can whip it up in less than an hour, and a good chunk of that time is just waiting around.

I call it “lazy” because I try to keep things simple. I’ll explain more in the notes below. The recipe itself is easily saved to your photo roll, as I’ve done it as screen caps. There are three of them:

Notes:

1. Neglected to mention another optional ingredient: Cayenne Pepper. Just a pinch or two of you’d like a bit of warmth.
2. Pasta – Any tube shaped pasta will do. Cook it in salty water. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a big bowl to put the strainer in, but it helps.
3. Béchamel Sauce – I’ve always found it hard to make from scratch, so I use store bought. I told you it was a lazy recipe
4. Cheese – Mature cheddar is best. And always grate it yourself. Store bought grated cheese has an anti-caking agent to keep it from sticking together, which makes it melt funny. I use a box grater, they’re cheap, and really useful. Some things are worth the extra effort, even if you’re being lazy.
5. Welsh rarebit flavours – The golden/pale ale, the Worcestershire Sauce, the English Mustard give it that distinctive flavour, but you can experiment. Leave them out for a more traditional mac & cheese. Maybe try some paprika, or cayenne pepper for a bit of a warm kick. Even some dijon mustard would elevate it. Or how about some crispy, smoked streaky bacon, crumbled up into it. Yum. I did really like how my Welsh Rarebit version came out, and would definitely make it again.
6. Pale Ale – I don’t drink alcohol, but I do cook with it, so I just got the cheapest, smallest bottle of ale I could find. If you prefer not to use alcohol, the dish would still work.
7. One big pot – Another lazy thing is to just use one pot to cook the pasta, and then use the same pot to make the sauce. It saves up on washing up too. But you could always use two pots, if that’s your preference.
8. Baking – is actually optional. You could serve it straight from the cooking pot. I do recommend baking it, as it is nicer with melted cheese, and a crisp crust.
9. Breadcrumbs – I used golden breadcrumbs on mine, as that’s what I had to hand. I would have preferred normal breadcrumbs, and would use them for next time.
10. Salt – Sea salt is my preference. And if you’ve salted the pasta water enough, the finished dish should only need a pinch or two.
11. Black Pepper – Freshly ground is so much nicer than pre-ground. It’s worth the extra effort. Not everything has to be lazy.
12. The finished dish & recipe – I didn’t know this was going to turn out so good, so I did not document the preparation with photos. I did take a couple of photos of the finished dish. Here’s the second one:

Mrs. Hippy is not a huge fan of mac & cheese, but she absolutely loved this one, so I will definitely be making it again. If you make it too, let me know what you think. I’d welcome the feedback!

After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real. 

Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.”   “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read. You will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!

If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?