Mac 'n Cheese

MAC 'N CHEESE

8 servings   30 min oven

NGREDIENTS 

6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more to grease the baking dish

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

24 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

1 pound elbow macaroni

3 ¼ cups whole milk

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp dry mustard

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Set the oven to 350 °F and grease a 9X13 baking dish with butter. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl, then melt three tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat.

2 Once melted, drizzle the butter over the panko breadcrumbs and toss them to ensure they are thoroughly combined. Next, add a handful of grated cheese to the buttered breadcrumbs and stir them to combine.

3 Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the elbow macaroni, and cook until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse, and return to the pot.

4 Warm the milk in a small saucepan over moderate heat and right as the milk begins to steam, and tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges, remove from the heat — the milk should not boil.

5 In a medium saucepan, add the remaining butter and melt it over moderate heat. Once melted add the flour and using a flat-edged wooden spoon blend the butter and flour together making sure you scrape the bottom to prevent the mixture from burning.

6 After about three minutes, the mixture should turn light brown in color at which point, slowly pour in the warm milk while constantly stirring for about three minutes until the sauce thickens.

7 Remove from the heat, add the seasonings (dry mustard, salt, and pepper) and stir them in. Lastly, add the remaining grated cheese into the sauce and stir until it has completely melted.

8 Pour the resulting sauce over the pasta and stir, making sure that every piece of pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.

9 Scrape the macaroni and cheese into the previously greased baking dish, smooth out the surface and sprinkle with the panko-cheese mixture.

10 Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven or until the top is light golden brown in color.

Source: Taste Atlas