Add cauliflower - cheap, tasty and healthy - to this onion-soup seasoned Mac 'n' Cheese to create a fabulously delicious and easy dish that's ideal for everyone - from flatters to families and perfect for autumn and winter.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cauliflower
• 1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 rashers bacon, finely chopped
• 50 grams butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1-2 tablespoons onion soup mix
• 1 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheese (something tasty such as cheddar or aged gouda)
• 2 cups cooked spiral pasta

Topping

• 1/4 cup grated cheese (something tasty such as cheddar or aged gouda)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Put the onion, bacon and butter into a saucepan and cook over a moderate heat until the onion has softened. Add the flour and cook for one minute until the mixture is frothing. Stir in the soup mix.
3. Pour in the milk, and cook stirring over a moderate heat until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle the cheese on top and gently stir. Do not boil the cheese as it will become stringy.
4. Into an ovenproof dish put the cauliflower, and pasta and then pour over the sauce. Scatter over the extra cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until hot and golden.

Cooks Tips

It's important to cook the onion with the bacon in the butter until it has softened as it will not cook to a tender texture once the sauce is made.

When cooking the flour in the butter, cook until frothy - stirring constantly to avoid the mixture browning - to burst the starch granules which will ensure the sauce thickens nicely and that there is no lingering raw flour taste in the sauce.