Air fryer recipe · Mains
Masala Mac Bake
Boiled macaroni tossed in a spiced cheese sauce and baked until golden on top.
- 30 minTotal time
- 190°CAir fryer
- 2Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 420kcal
- 21.0 gprotein
- 10.0 gcarbs
- 33.3 gfat
- 1.4 gfibre
Per serving, about 2 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- macaroni pasta200 g
- cheese150 g
- milk100 ml
- butter1 tbsp
- capsicum1 small
- tomato ketchup1 tbsp
- garam masala1 tsp
- bread crumbs2 tbsp
Method
Boil the macaroni
Boil the macaroni in salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes, then drain well. Stopping at just-tender matters, as it keeps softening in the hot bake, and overcooked pasta turns mushy once the sauce goes in.
Make the cheese sauce
Melt the butter in a pan, then add the milk, garam masala and half the cheese. Cook on low heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Low heat stops the cheese splitting into oil.
Combine and season
Mix the boiled macaroni, capsicum and tomato ketchup into the thick cheese sauce until well coated. Folding it all together while the sauce is warm and loose coats every piece evenly before it sets in the bake.
Fill the baking dish
Transfer the mac and cheese to a small air fryer safe dish and top with the remaining cheese and bread crumbs. The crumb layer is what crisps into a golden, crunchy top over the soft pasta underneath.
Bake until golden
Place the dish in the air fryer and air fry at 190°C for 10 min until the top turns golden and crisp and the cheese is fully melted. The bubbling edges tell you it is hot right through and ready to serve.
