Mac and cheese with peas
Homemade macaroni cheese with a simple milk sauce, a little lower-salt cheese and soft peas, with no added salt. Contains milk and wheat: offer it once your baby has had dairy and wheat each on their own.
- From
- 6 months
- Time
- 30 min
- Makes
- 2 adults and 1 baby
Contains milkContains wheat
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz)dried wheat macaronior larger shapes such as penne or fusilli for a younger baby to grip
- 150 g (1 cup)frozen peas
- 25 g (2 tbsp)unsalted butter
- 25 g (3 tbsp)plain (all-purpose) flour
- 400 ml (1⅔ cups)whole cow's milkpasteurized; see the US and UK note below for babies under 12 months
- 60 g (⅔ cup)finely grated hard cheesepasteurized and full-fat, such as mild cheddar; compare labels and choose a lower-salt one
Steps
- 1Wash your hands. Check the cheese label says it's made from pasteurized milk, then grate it finely.
- 2Boil the pasta in plenty of unsalted water for a few minutes longer than the package says, until a piece squashes easily between your fingers. Meanwhile, cook the peas in a separate small pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Drain both, and keep the peas apart.
- 3Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over low heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Put it back on medium-low heat and keep stirring for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and bubbles gently.
- 4Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts. Don't add salt. Stir in the drained pasta, but not the peas.
- 5Take your baby's portion out now, before any seasoning goes in, and spread it in a shallow bowl. Put a spoonful of peas in a separate small bowl for your baby: mash them with a fork for a baby under 9 months, or press each pea flat from 9 months. Stir the rest of the peas into the family pasta. Let your baby's pasta cool, stir, and check it's only just warm before serving: cheese sauce holds heat.
How to serve it by age
6 months+
Once your baby has had dairy and wheat each on their own without a reaction, offer a few large, very soft pasta shapes coated in sauce to grab, or mash some pasta into the sauce and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Serve the peas mashed, on the spoon or stirred into the sauce.
9 months+
Serve macaroni or other pasta cut into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Press each pea flat and scatter a few on the tray for pincer-grasp practice.
12 months+
Serve the family dish, with pasta in small shapes or pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Peas are small and round, so keep squashing them until your child chews well.
Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, use breast milk or formula instead.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 1 year.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
If your baby reacts
This recipe contains milk, wheat. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
Leftovers and the rest of the family
Storing it
Cool leftovers quickly in a shallow container and keep them covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them in small portions for 2 to 3 months (the sauce may turn a little grainy). Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), stirring in a splash of water, breast milk or formula (or milk, see the US and UK note) if it's thick, then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).
For the grown-ups
Take your baby's portion out first, then season the rest with black pepper and a little salt, or add extra cheese and broil (grill) the adults' portion until golden. Cheese contains salt, so keep this as an occasional meal for babies rather than an everyday one.
Foods in this recipe
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.