Hot Cross Crumb Mac Cheese 30 Minute Meals

Fans of savoury and sweet combos will find this rich and comforting pasta dinner irresistible.

An unexpected twist on classic creamy mac and cheese

Spring means the arrival of Easter favourite, hot cross buns in the shops (well, from January actually!). There are few dinners I make on consistent rotation but recently, this has become one dish I crave solidly. Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese comes from my deep love of Cheddar cheese sandwiched between warm, toasted hot cross buns. It’s a classic sweet and savoury snack combination I couldn’t help but make a meal of. The fact of the matter is that nothing bulks out a dish better than pasta. Enter Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese. Here, I fold short pasta like fusilli, macaroni, conchiglie (shells), penne or even rigatoni into rich and creamy mature Cheddar sauce.

The ultimate Mac and Cheese with breadcrumbs

Golden hot cross bun crumbs with crispy sage leaves top the dish off. I love the contrast of lightly-spiced crumbs and sweet raisins against the deeply savoury cheese. The whole affair is a celebration of textures and flavours.

A combination you’ll either love or hate

Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese reminds me a bit of fruity Wensleydale with cranberries and apricots at Christmas. Or cheese and mango chutney sandwiches. It feels 50 shades of wrong but when you eat it, it the flavours just work. This being said, if sweet and savoury dishes aren’t your cup of tea, it’s best to skip the hot cross crumbs with this recipe. Ultimately, this mac and cheese recipe alone still makes for a delicious stove-top meal.

Make Hot Cross Crumb Cauliflower Cheese for a lower carb option

Although my passion for pasta runs deep, you might find it useful to know that you can easily swap cooked pasta for roasted cauliflower florets. A cheeky riff on cauliflower cheese, so to speak. This would make for a great lower carb option or side dish.