Ultimate mac and cheese recipe uses leftover pigs in blankets after Christmas

Make a delicious and festive mac and cheese with leftover Christmas food (stock) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Pig in blankets are many people's favourite part of a Christmas dinner.

While it is unlikely there will be any spares after your guests have been round, if you have extras or have some stocked in your freezer, you can use them in delicious post-Christmas Day dish – as well as any leftover Christmas cheese.

This easy recipe has gone viral among food fans on social media recently after Laura Wilkinson, better known as @eatingwithkids, shared a video of the sumptuous mac and cheese peppered with pigs in blankets.

"Oh my goodness I need this in my life," commented one individual.

To prepare the mouth-watering treat you will need 12 mini pigs in blankets, 40 grams of unsalted butter, 40 grams of plain flour, 450ml milk, 150g mature cheddar, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 250 grams of macaroni, 30 grams of panko breadcrumbs, half a teaspoon garlic granules, half a teaspoon of dried sage, and one tablespoon of olive oil.

Laura, who shares nutricious meals for the whole family and has over 132,000 Instagram followers, warned: "This meal is high in salt due to bacon, sausage and cheddar. If making for the family, serve a small portion for babies and you can lower the amount of cheese if you prefer."

To prepare the treat, follow the steps below.

• Preheat your oven to 180C
• Place the pig in blankets in an oven tray and cook them for 20 minutes
• While these are baking, prepare your sauce. Start by grating your cheddar
• To a mixing bowl add breadcrumbs, sage, garlic granules and olive oil. Mix together to create your crumble topping
• Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet
• On a low heat, melt the butter in a pan
• To this whisk in flour before add milk gradually. Keep whisking to avoid lumps in your roux
• Once you have a thick white sauce, mix in mustard and the grated cheese
• Drain your pasta and stir into the sauce
• Remove the pig in blankets from the oven and put them on a plate

• Finish by pouring the macaroni cheese into an oven dish and neatly top with breadcrumbs and the pigs in blankets. Place the dish into the oven for 15 minutes.
• Once ready, sprinkle some chopped chives on top and serve. Be careful, as it might be very hot, so wait to cool down slightly before eating.

Would you prepare this treat? Comment below.