Cheeseboard mac ’n’ cheese with cracker breadcrumbs

Use whatever odds and ends of cheese you have for this dish – blue cheese, gruyère and camembert all work well. It’s a great way to use up leftovers

350g spirali pasta
25g butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
25g plain flour
450ml whole milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
200g mix of brie, cheddar and red leicester (or use whatever you have leftover from Christmas), grated
50g leftover cheeseboard crackers (we used rosemary & sea salt)
50g parmesan or vegetarian alternative
5g fresh thyme leaves

Cook the pasta following pack instructions, drain and set aside. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or an air fryer to 170C.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once foaming, cook the garlic with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the flour to make a paste.
Slowly pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard and cheese until all the cheese has melted. Combine the sauce with the pasta, season well and pour into an ovenproof dish. If using an air fryer cook the pasta in the sauce for 10-15 mins until it is bubbling.
Tip the crackers into a food processor and blitz with the parmesan, thyme and a grinding of black pepper. Sprinkle this over the pasta and bake for 25 mins in the oven or for another 5 mins until golden and bubbling in the air fryer.