Pasta and cheese, what more could you ask for? I’ll tell you what; pasta and cheese covered in bread crumbs!

Mac n’ cheese is a children’s favorite; and like any other child, I loved mac n’ cheese. Little did I know, there was much more to it than a branded box filled with pasta and packeted powdered cheddar cheese–or so I thought.

I credit this recipe of baked mac n’ cheese to Alton Brown. Out of all the recipe’s I have tried, this is by far my favorite and it never fails.

Ingredients:

• 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

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large pot of boiling water, add salt, olive oil and cook the pasta to al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.
• Whisk in the flour and mustard in the melted butter 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.