BEST BAKED MAC & CHEESE

Best Baked Mac & Cheese image

Provided by Tonna Canfield

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp powdered mustard
3 c milk
1/2 c finely diced onion
1/2 tsp paprika
1 large egg
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp kosher salt
black pepper, to taste
TOPPING:
3 Tbsp butter
1 c panko bread crumbs

Steps:

1. 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, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes. Add about 2 Tablespoons of the hot mixture to the beaten egg in a small bowl and gradually add the egg mixture back into the hot mixture (this is called tempering the egg). Stir in 8 oz 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. Delicious!