Mac Cheese n Egg

Baked vegetables with toasted bread used to be a dinner that my entire family used to like. My aunt , who did not have an oven for sometime, used to make it on the gas stove using two hot tawas. I've done that too, when there have been power cuts. I was reminded of my ma's baked veggies when I had the pleasure of tasting this yummy mac n cheese dish. In the following grocery shopping session I had picked up macaroni from the store. I forgot about it until I found this packet when trying to empty all the jars in my kitchen. So here's how I made it.

I am Sending to Know Your Dairy – Cheese and Jagruti’s Page. Thanks to Sowmya from Nivedhanam's for this opportunity.

Ingredients (Serves 4 with bread) :

1. 100 g macaroni shell/elbow
2. 100g +25g cheddar cheese
3. 1 cup milk
4. 1 1/2 tbsp butter
5. 1 tbsp maida
6. 2 tsp fresh ground pepper corns
7. Salt to taste
8. 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
9. Finely chopped carrot, zapped in the microwave on high for 2 minutes (optional)
10. 4 small brinjal/eggplant, sliced and pan fried with a little oil and salt.(optional)
11. Bread crumbs - optional
12. Egg - optional

How I made it :

1. Preheat oven at 180 degree C.
2. Boil the macaroni as per instructions on the pack.  Drain, rinse in cool water and keep aside. I added some finely chopped carrots and pan fried eggplant at the bottom.
3. Grate 100g cheese into milk and gently warm to melt the cheese in the milk.
4. In a pan, heat the butter.
5. Add the maida and fry. Don't let it burn or turn colour. Keep stirring.
6. Add the warm milk little by little, making sure that there are no lumps. 
7. Add salt and pepper. Let this bubble until it coats the back of the spoon as shown in the picture.
8. Pour this over the macaroni and veggies. 
9. Next top with the tomato ketchip.
10. Grate 25g cheese on top.
11. Sprinkle bread crumbs.
12. Break an egg over the top. I got this idea from another healthy recipe involving a bake made from potatoes and chickpeas.
13. Put into oven and bake for 30 minutes. 
14. Serve hot. Since this is a complete pasta type dish, you can skip the bread. 

It had a nice crust on the top because of the bread crumbs and the egg and veggies gave it a nice healthy twist.