The Case For Adding Mac And Cheese To Your Next Lasagna

Lasagna mac and cheese? A culinary union like no other. While we may be here to argue the case for marrying these classic pasta dishes, do we really need to advocate for something that sounds so intuitively delicious? Of course, the reason why this coupling works is that the sauce for a mac and cheese is essentially a basic roux-based Bechamel (that already features in a lasagna) with the addition of heaps of extra cheese. All you're doing is assembling the same flavors in a breezier way using tender morsels of macaroni that can be scooped instead of sliced.

To get started, prepare your mac and cheese as normal (with cooked elbow pasta or classic straight cut macaroni noodles) and simply layer it up with your beef ragu, finishing with a final topping of reserved sauce and a scattering of shredded cheese. This will result in a lasagna with distinct, pretty-looking strata that's closer in appearance to its traditional presentation, or a bit like a Greek pastitsio made with tube-shaped noodles. However, you can also go the easier route and cook your pasta in the beef ragu itself in an oven-proof skillet before topping the lot with a generous amount of cheese sauce and baking until bubbly. The benefit of this technique is that it eliminates the drawn-out layering process. Plus, your dish will be ready at speed because you're using cooked noodles instead of raw, dried lasagna sheets.

When substituting the ricotta cheese in your lasagna with a mac and cheese sauce, simply use more flour in your roux to begin with and cook everything down until your bechamel has a stiffer consistency, more akin to the thickness of ricotta. This will create a heftier slice of lasagna with a clingier texture, which can be particularly useful if your recipe includes ingredients that are naturally loaded with moisture, such as wilted spinach and cooked mushrooms. The tubular nature of the added macaroni, versus flat lasagna sheets, also means that every bite of noodle will be packed with flavor from the inside out. Moreover, you can scoop it out family-style at the table instead of cutting it into portions.

If you're feeling too lazy to locate your baking dish from the back of the cupboard, consider using your mac and cheese sauce as a rich topping on a deconstructed lasagna soup. All you need to do is boil your noodles in your ragu with a touch more water and seasonings to create a herby, tomatoey broth before drizzling over the sauce and devouring with a spoon. For ultra-comforting vibes, dunk in some slices of crisp and buttery garlic bread.