Baked Mac N Cheese

This week's recipe (technically, last week....was a bit slow to post) is Alton Brown's Baked Mac N Cheese.....sadly, it was not as flavorful as we thought that it would be. I have made Alton Brown recipes in the past and usually they are pretty good. But this one just lacked in the flavor department. We gave it 3 stars just because it wouldn't be bad to eat again as a fail safe but.....this means that i am still on the hunt for a good Mac N Cheese recipe. I think that i will try the Neely's recipe next - it has bacon in it, can't go wrong with a bit of pork product in a recipe, eh?


Well, here's the recipe for those who would like to try it. :D

Baked Mac N Cheese
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered 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, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoon 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 the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.