Outdoor Cooking: One-Pot Green Mac n Cheese

Lately we've been taking our portable gas stove down to the beach to cook dinner. It's a big treat living so close to the ocean and we've been trying to make the most of it during these uncertain times. Cooking outdoors is so simple and we've been sharing a few recipes in our Outdoor Cooking series in the hope we can inspire you to enjoy doing it too. Whether it's your own backyard, the beach, a local park or somewhere more remote, with a little bit of preparation, you too can enjoy cooking a beautiful meal with your family under the beautiful sun, or shining stars.

Recently we decided to make our One-Pot Green Mac n Cheese. Put simply, it's your traditional Mac n Cheese made from scratch but we've thrown in some greens to give it a healthier kick. It's the perfect meal for kids to enjoy too, and is one of our staple camping meals. We used our Enamel Plates for this outdoor cooking adventure, and you can actually buy them in our shop! They are so handy because they are lightweight, won't break and you can clean them in the dishwasher when you get home, or with soapy water, or with ocean water! Read on for the recipe. And as always, we hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups macaroni or elbow macaroni 
• 2 Cups cold water
• 50g Butter 
• 1 Cup green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 Cup pouring cream 
• 1/3 Cup mascarpone cream
• 1/4 Pecorino (or parmesan), grated finely
• 2 Cups fresh spinach, roughly sliced 
• 1 Tsp dijon mustard 
• Pinch of sea salt and pepper

Equipment

• Portable gas stove, ours is by Primus 
• Portable gas bottle 
• 1 Large saucepan 
• Wooden spoon, ours is from Primus
• Enamel Plates

Method 

1. Light the portable gas stove. Place macaroni, water, butter and salt in the saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Cook until the mixture comes to boil. Stir occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan. 
3. Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir occasionally until the pasta is just cooked through and the liquid has thickened and reduced. If the mixture is a bit dry, feel free to add a couple of teaspoons of water. 
4. Stir in peas, creams, dijon mustard and cheese until the cheese melts. 
5. Add spinach and stir until it just wilts.
6. Add salt and pepper to season. 
7. Serve straightaway and enjoy the view!