Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Photo: Texasfoodgawker, CC BY-SA 4.0
This baked macaroni and cheese starts with a real roux-based sauce rather than a packet or a bowl of plain melted cheese. Powdered mustard, red onion, paprika and Tabasco give the sharp cheddar something to push against, and a tempered egg makes the sauce set into sliceable, creamy portions. Buttered panko forms the crisp lid. The ten-minute rest after baking matters, so do not skip it.
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 °F. Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until it is al dente.
While the pasta cooks, melt the first measure of butter in a separate pot. Whisk in the flour and powdered mustard and keep stirring for about five minutes, until the paste is completely smooth and free of lumps.
Stir in the milk, chopped onion, Tabasco, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes, then take out the bay leaf.
Temper the egg into the sauce by whisking a little of the hot liquid into it first, then stirring it back into the pot. Stir in three quarters of the shredded cheddar and season with the salt and pepper.
Fold the cooked macaroni into the sauce and pour everything into a 2-quart casserole dish. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top.
Melt the second measure of butter in a sauté pan, add the panko and toss until every crumb is coated. Spread the crumbs over the macaroni.
Bake for 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes out of the oven before serving so the sauce can set.
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