The Big Cheese for National Cheese Lovers Day!

Milly Fyfe • 20 January 2025

🎉 It’s National Cheese Lovers Day! 🎉


Say hello to ‘The Big Cheese’—a family-favourite dish bursting with cheesy goodness. Think of it as the lovechild of lasagne and macaroni cheese. Yep, it’s THAT good. Featuring a triple cheese dream team—mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan—this dish promises to wow cheese lovers of all ages.


Let’s dive into the ultimate cheesy comfort food adventure! 🧀

Ingredients

For the Bolognaise Base:

  • 500g beef mince
  • 1 small carton of tomato passata
  • 1 pinch of mixed dried herbs
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 100ml water
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped (optional, but hey, more veggies = bonus points!)
  • Optional: A handful of chopped fresh tomatoes

For the Cheesy Mac:

  • 250g macaroni pasta
  • 100g butter
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 200ml milk (more if needed)
  • 100g cheddar cheese
  • 100g Parmesan cheese
  • 1 pack of mozzarella cheese


🍴 Let’s Get Cooking!


Get started on the bolognaise base:

  • Heat a drizzle of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden.
  • Toss in the beef mince and cook until browned.
  • Crumble in the stock cube, sprinkle the dried herbs, and pour in the water. Mix well.
  • Stir in all your chopped veggies and the passata. Let it bubble gently and reduce until rich and saucy.


Next, whip up the cheese sauce:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan until bubbling. Add the flour and stir to create a smooth roux.
  • Stir in the mustard, then gradually add the milk, whisking continuously.
  • Mix in half the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Keep whisking until you’ve got a thick, creamy sauce. (Add a splash more milk if it feels too thick!)


Cook the macaroni:

  • In a separate pot, cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions. Drain and mix it straight into your cheese sauce.


Assemble the masterpiece:

  • Preheat your oven to 200°C.
  • In an ovenproof dish, spread the bolognaise sauce across the bottom.
  • Spoon the cheesy macaroni mixture over the top.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and Parmesan, then dot with small blobs of mozzarella.


Bake to golden perfection:

  • Place the dish on a baking tray (to catch any cheesy goodness that bubbles over).
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling.


Serve it up:

  • Dish up with steamed broccoli, crispy homemade chips, or just enjoy it solo—it’s deliciously filling on its own!


✨ Top Tip: Don’t forget to take a picture before digging in—this dish deserves to be shared (on social media and around the dinner table).


🎉 Dig in, cheese lovers, and let the celebration begin! 🧀💛

Please let me know how you got on! You can email me at hello@millyfyfe.com

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