Upside Down Mac'n'cheese Pie

Here, I’m dialling up the carbs with pasta and a layer of puffff pastry. The trick to a good mac and cheese is to use two types of cheese. I go for something strong, like an extra-mature Cheddar, combined with a stringy, nutty cheese, such as Emmental, which works perfectly. Although, you could go with something even cheesier, like Velveeta, an American brand of melting cheese, that is sinful but really makes a difference. 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 320g (11oz) sheet of readyrolled puff pastry, roughly 35 x 23cm (14 x 9in), or use homemade (see p12) 
• 200g (7oz) macaroni or spirali 
• 1 recipe quantity of Cheese Sauce (see p14) 
• 7 streaky bacon rashers 
• drizzle of olive oil 
• 100g (3½oz) breadcrumbs 
• 50g (1¾oz) strong Cheddar, finely grated 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped chives, to garnish 

Essential: large baking tray, roughly 38 x 27cm (15 x 10½in), lined with baking parchment 

 Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Unroll the sheet of pastry and set aside.
2. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water for half the time instructed on the packet. Drain well and stir the pasta into the prepared cheese sauce.
3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan until dark and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, drain on kitchen paper, and chop it into small pieces. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese. Set aside.
4. Mark out a large rectangle on the baking parchment, the same size as the pastry, and place it drawn-side down on the baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Leaving a 1cm (½in) border, sprinkle the cheesy breadcrumbs over the marked rectangle, then top with half of the crispy bacon. Spoon half of the mac and cheese over the bacon, making sure you keep it within the marked rectangle, then top with the rest of the bacon and the remaining mac and cheese.
6. Lay the pastry sheet over the mac and cheese. Using the back of a fork or teaspoon, press around the edges of the pastry to seal. Score the top in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife and then brush with beaten egg.
7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to sit on the tray for 10 minutes. Lay a piece of baking parchment on top, followed by a chopping board, and carefully flip the tart over in one swift move. Remove the tray and peel off the backing paper. Sprinkle with chives and cut into squares to serve.