Mac ’n’ cheese sliders

Feed a crowd at a party or buffet with these American-themed canapés of crispy squares of macaroni cheese, sandwiched in mini bread rolls

Prep:25 mins
Cook:1 hrs
plus overnight chilling

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 111
fat 6g
saturates 4g
carbs 9g
sugars 1g
fibre 0g
protein 5g
salt 0.3g

Ingredients

500g macaroni
50g butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
50g plain flour
500ml whole milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100g cream cheese
100g cheddar, grated
1 egg, beaten
300g mozzarella, chopped into 36 chunks
3 x 12-pack assorted mini bread rolls
1 pack watercress
barbecue sauce (optional)

Tip

Get ahead

Make the macaroni cheese a day ahead. Slice and bake when you want to serve.

Method

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cook the macaroni following pack instructions, then drain in a colander. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the shallots and cook very gently for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the flour, mix well, then slowly add the milk, a splash at a time, mixing well after each addition to make a smooth sauce. Once all the milk has been added, keep cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustard, cream cheese, cheddar and egg. Season well.
Tip the cooked macaroni into a deep baking dish (ours was 28 x 18cm) and pour over the cheese sauce, making sure the macaroni is well coated. Bake for 20 mins until starting to turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool completely, then chill overnight.
The following day, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and slice the macaroni cheese into 36 blocks. Transfer to 2 baking trays so the blocks have space around them. Gently press a piece of mozzarella into the middle of each. Bake for 10-15 mins or until starting to crisp at the edges and the cheese has melted. Put the blocks into the mini rolls with a few watercress sprigs and a squeeze of BBQ sauce, if you like. Serve immediately.

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