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baked macaroni and cheese
This dish bears the same relation to mac and cheese in a box as a Hershey bar does to a fine Belgian truffle. I like mac and cheese from a box and I like Hershey bars, in their proper place; but they just aren’t great cuisine.
Now some people will argue that macaroni and cheese can never be called great cuisine; but this pasta casserole will change your mind. It’s ideal for a chilly autumn evening when you just want some comfort food, a dish that will satify both kids and their parents. And a great meal for meatless Fridays.
This recipe comes from Dom’s favorite food guru, Alton Brown. And it’s scrumptious. Definitely “good eats.“
For a complete meal serve with salad.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered yellow mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs*
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt three tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Whisk in the flour and mustard and continue to stir for five minutes. Make sure it is free of all lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and then remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg by adding a few tablespoons of the hot mixture to the already beaten egg, stirring briskly. Then add egg to the pot and stir to mix. Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the cheese sauce and then pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
In a small saute pan melt the other three tablespoons of butter. Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.
* I actually used the heel of a loaf of bread Dom had made, pulsed in the food processor.
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