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Ministry of Education New Zealand
Mac and cheese
mac n cheese

Cost per serve#

  • Years 0 to 3: $0.93
  • Years 4 to 8: $1.12
  • Years 9 and above: $1.40.

Ingredients#

Directions#

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

  2. Cook pasta according to instructions.

  3. Melt catering spread in a pot over low heat. Add flour and salt, stirring for 2 minutes.

  4. Slowly add hot milk, whisking smooth after each addition.

  5. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring often until thick and creamy.

  6. In a large bowl, mix together cooked pasta, white sauce, ham, thawed mixed vegetables and
    half the grated cheese.

  7. Transfer mixture into a baking dish and spread evenly.

  8. Mix remaining cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over top.

  9. Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven.

Tip

Portioning guidance

Weigh out reference plates for each meal size to guide portioning.

  • Years 0 to 3: Serve about 250g.
  • Years 4 to 8: Serve about 300g.
  • Years 9 and above: Serve about 380g.

Special diet substitution ideas#

  • Vegetarian: replace ham with a plant-based meat alternative.
  • Vegan: replace ham with a plant-based meat alternative. Use plant-based cheese and milk.
  • Gluten-free: GF pasta and breadcrumbs.
  • Dairy-free: plant-based cheese and milk. Increase ham to meet protein requirements.
  • Halal: replace ham with halal-certified chicken.
Tip

Recipe tips

Cook pasta until softer than normal, so sauce is not absorbed into the dish too much.

Gilmours product information#

Products and pricing are valid as at 29 September 2025 and are subject to change.

Product descriptionPack sizePrice
Turkman pasta bold elbow 5kg$11.43
Gilmours canola spread4kg$15.10
Pams flour pure plain5kg$6.95
Pams salt iodised 2kg$2.24
Pams value milk standard3l$6.29
(P)Hobsons choice diced ham2.5kg$23.20
Gilmours mixed vegetables5kg$14.85
GKCC budget blend grated cheese5kg$63.43
Gilmours breadcrumbs golden3kg$16.61

 

Nutrition standards summary#