Celebrate Grilled Cheese day with Melts

It's Grilled Cheese day (yes, that's a thing!) and we couldn’t be more excited about honouring one of the greatest inventions in the world ever, the Cheese Toastie!

Macaroni Cheese If you have some mac ‘n’ cheese left over, brilliant – you are almost there. If not, whip up this much-loved pasta dish, follow these simple instructions and you’ll have yourself a mac ‘n’ cheddar melt in no time. Prep Time : 15 minutes Cook Time : 25 minutes Best Bread : soft white loaf   Ingredients 80 g (23∕4 oz/1∕2 cup) macaroni 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature 1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 180 ml (6 fl oz/3∕4 cup) whole milk 30 g (1 oz) mature cheddar, grated pinch of English mustard powder 4 thick slices soft white bread 1 tbsp grated parmesan freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook until tender according to the packet’s instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over a medium heat, then stir in the flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk to make a smooth sauce. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cheddar and mustard powder, then take off the heat.

Drain the macaroni and add it to the sauce, and let it sit for 5 minutes so everything thickens up together.

Spread the remaining butter on one side of each slice of bread. Lay 2 slices of the bread butter side down and spoon on the macaroni cheese; be careful not to overload them. If there is too much macaroni cheese to fit in the sandwiches, serve the extra on the side. Sprinkle over the parmesan and season with black pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered sides facing up.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Carefully transfer the sandwiches into the pan using a spatula. Cook them for 3 minutes on each side, gently pressing down on the bread with the spatula to aid cooking, but not too much as the macaroni may fall out. Alternatively, cook the sandwiches in a toasted sandwich maker or a panini press. The toasties are ready when the bread is golden and crispy.

Find this recipe and many more in Melts : Over 50 Delicious Toasted and Grilled Sandwich Recipes by Fern Green. Photography by Jacqui Melville.

Available to buy now in shops that sell books and Amazon