Macaroni cheese

100g macaroni

100g Cheddar cheese

1 tomato

25g butter or soft spread

25g plain flour

250ml semi-skimmed milk

Black pepper

Two saucepans, weighing scales, grater, chopping board, knife, colander, measuring jug, wooden spoon, whisk, ovenproof dish (or foil tray).

1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, and then add the macaroni. Cook for about 10 – 12 minutes, until al dente.

2. Grate the cheese and slice the tomato.

3. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce:

• place the fat, flour and milk into a small saucepan;
• bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking all the time until it has thickened;
• stir in 75g of the grated cheese.

4. Preheat the grill.

5. Drain the boiling hot water away from the macaroni into a colander in the sink.

6. Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce and add a few twists of black pepper.

7. Pour the macaroni into an oven-proof dish (or foil tray).

8. Arrange the tomato slices over the macaroni.

9. Place under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

• Try using a reduced fat Cheddar cheese to lower the fat content or use wholemeal pasta to increase the fibre.

Why not use the Explore Food calculator, the British Nutrition Foundation's free online nutritional analysis programme, to calculate the nutritional information for this and other Food - a fact of life recipes?