Good Morning Lovelies, 

Thinking back to when you were in school, what was the best thing you could get when it came to primary school dinners? For me, I adore spaghetti bolognaise day. The thick and chinky mince with the lukewarm pasty and one slice of garlic bread was a triumph. Closely followed by the ice cream scoop piles of mash potato. 

I absolutely adored the dinners that we would get each and every day. I truly think my love of apple crumble and custard came from those early days. Yet, little ones these days don’t seem to love them as much. With so many changes to the menu, lots probably for the better, the meals are just not what they used to be. 

This led me to thinking about ways I could make this back to school week for many of us more fun. Leading to this delicious cheese flan recipe that the whole family will love. Easier to make than you think, it tastes exactly like the one that the dinner ladies used to serve up. Enjoy with creamy scooped mash and a side of beans for optimal enjoyment…

Ingredients

200g Plain Flour, Plus One Tablespoon More For The Filling

100g of Cold Butter

Two to Three Tablespoons of Cold Water

Three Large Eggs

150g of Grated Mature Cheddar, Plus Extra To Top The Flan

250ml of Milk (Any Kind)

A Pinch of Salt & Pepper

½ Teaspoon of Mustard Powder

Tools

A Large Flan Tin

Baking Paper

Two Mixing Bowls

A Mixing Spoon

A Whisk

Method

1. To start, preheat your oven to 190ºC, before greasing and lining a large flan tin. Leave to one side until needed.
2. Next, grab a mixing bowl and add in the butter and 200g of the plain flour. Rub together using your fingers until they look like breadcrumbs. 
3. Add in the water, a bit at a time, and knead together with your hands to form a dough. Wrap the dough and place into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. 
4. When the dough has chilled enough, remove from the fridge and roll it out before placing it into the flan tin. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry but not too much. 
5. Grab some more baking powder and line the top of the pastry base before adding in baking beans of rice. Place into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. 
6. After 15 minutes, remove from the oven and take away the paper and beans before placing it back into the cooker for five more minutes. Remove and allow to cool once ready.
7. As the pastry cools, take a second mixing bowl and add in the eggs, milk, remaining flour, mustard powder and season. Whisk together until fully combined before adding in the cheese and stirring again.
8. Once the pastry has cooled enough, pour in the liquid mixture to it. When level, add the extra cheese to the top to create a top when cooked. 
9. Place back into the oven and cook for around 30-35 minutes or until set and lightly golden. 
10. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing the way that your favourite dinner lady did!

For me, this recipe has to be enjoyed with beans and mash! Or chips! It was the only way that we would get served it at school! It is also great though on its own for lunch the next day or with a good salad as part of a picky tea! Little ones will also love the simplicity of it too! You really just can’t beat an old school dinner meal! 

Joey X