Recipe: Tomato Mac n' Cheese
Introducing a grown-up mac and cheese. Filled with plum tomatoes, aged cheddar cheese and fresh thyme, this one's NOT for the kids.
by Lindsay Evans

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In many a household mac and cheese is a much-loved staple. The version that I grew up with was made with a combo of old-school velveeta and grated orange cheddar, and piled high with a breadcrumb mixture (that turned incredibly crunchy once baked). But want to know one of our pet peeves? Sometimes it feels like mac and cheese is all about the kids. Turn up to a kid-friendly dinner party? It's mac and cheese for the kids. Out at a family-style restaurant? Mac and cheese is the star on the kids menu.
Enter our grown-up tomato mac and cheese, filled with chopped plum tomatoes, aged cheddar cheese and fresh thyme. Kids may turn their nose up at these bold flavours. And we're good with that. They can have our no-fuss mac and cheese instead. Top your version with Japanese-style Panko breadcrumbs and you've got yourself a dish that will make any adult swoon.
500 g pkg dried macaroni pasta (or any small pasta shape you like)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme, divided
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for dish
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 1/2 cups grated sharp (extra-old) white cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup reserved for topping
1 cup canned or boxed diced tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 to 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
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