Originally posted October 12, 2011

homemade macaroni and cheese

homemade macaroni and cheese by joanie

You can stop before baking, but if you've come this far, you might as well go the distance.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 lb cheddar and/or monterey cheese, grated
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
6-8 servings

Directions

Heat oven to 400° if you're planning to finish off the dish by baking it. This is optional.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta until al dente according to the package. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a medium pan over medium heat until foaming. Add panko and cook until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. When it foams, whisk in the flour until smooth. Continue to cook until mixture darkens. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir in the pasta water, cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper. Fold in the drained pasta.

If you're baking the macaroni and cheese, transfer it a 9x13" baking dish. Top with panko and bake until the top turns a light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Then remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Otherwise, top with panko and serve immediately.

1 hour

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