Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I love mac and cheese.  It is just one of those great comfort foods that will always make me feel better about everything.  The wife had a dream about mac and cheese so I had to go after this one.   This will also be a great learning experience for creating another French sauce, a cheese béchamel sauce or mornay sauce.  Also great on broccoli and cauliflower or make it with American cheese for nachos.

1 lb large elbow macaroni

10 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz gruyere cheese

3 cups milk

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp powdered mustard (found in the spice area)

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

3 tbsp butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Bring salted and oiled water to boil for pasta.  Cook pasta to a hard al dente as it will continue to cook during baking. 

If you have read my blog about biscuits and gravy we will be starting this sauce the same way with a roux.  Start by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and mustard and let cook for about a minute.  Now slowly add the milk while stirring.  This will thicken while heating.  Whisk egg in separate bowl.  We want to add the egg without making it scramble so we are going to temper in the egg to the sauce.  To do this take about 2 tablespoons of the béchamel and add it to the egg and mix.  Do this twice to bring up the temperature of the egg without cooking it.  Now add this mix back to the sauce pan with the rest of the sauce.  Add in ¾ of both the cheeses reserving the rest for topping.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the sauce to the drained pasta.  Pour the cheesed pasta into a 13x9 baking dish.

In small sauté pan melt butter and add panko bread crumbs till they are covered in butter.  Mix bread crumbs rest of cheddar, gruyere and parmesan cheese together.   Cover the top of the mac with this mixture.  Bake until topping is browned roughly 10-15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.