Happy New Year. New year, new recipe. Cauliflower mac and cheese. It’s a combination of two great meals to make an even greater meal. And it’s topped with crispy prosciutto ham.

This was an idea I got on a lunch break at work when I decided to try something new. In Pret I found a box of mac and cheese and, despite the slightly excessive price, it was a nice surprise when I found cauliflower with the macaroni. I thought it was a meal that would be easy to recreate at home, and at a much cheaper price. Macaroni, cauliflower and cheese should be cheap ingredients.

What I liked best about this is that I didn’t bother to measure any of the ingredients; I just eyed them instead. This is an easy, cheap and delicious recipe, perfect for lazy hungry people like me.

1. Start to boil the macaroni. Add the cauliflower to this later.
2. In a separate pan, melt a tablespoon of butter.
3. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir well.
4. Add milk to this gradually, and whisk the mixture until smooth. This is the base for the cheese sauce done. Add as much cheese as you like.
5. Add parsley (optional) for taste.
6. Mix the sauce with the cooked macaroni and cauliflower and add to a baking tray. Add ham as a topping (also optional).
7. Cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

As annoying as some people may find the whole ‘new year new me’ façade many put on at this time of year, New Year’s is a good time for personal reflection. This year has had some downs for me personally but the important thing is to move forward into the New Year and make improvements. Some memorable highlights include getting on a plane for the first time and going on holiday with friends, as well as starting this blog.

My hopes for the new year (or at least for the foreseeable future!) include moving into a better paid career and moving out of my parents’ house. I have to say that the past two years since graduating have been a confusing time for me, but hopefully life will really begin for me in 2015.

Cheers to that!