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The Best Macaroni and Cheese on the Planet Recipe

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This recipe for The Best Macaroni and Cheese on the Planet is from Joyce Manwiller's Recipe Box, one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We'll help you start your own personal cookbook! It's easy and fun. Click here to start your own cookbook!
Category:
Category:
Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
Topping:
1/4 stick (2 Tbs) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or coarse dry bread crumbs
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 oz)
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For the cheese sauce and macaroni:
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
3/4 lb elbow macaroni
Directions:
Directions:
Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 400ºF. Butter a 3 quart shallow baking dish. Make the topping: Stir together butter, panko, and cheese.
Make the sauce: Melt butter in a 5 quart heavy pot over low heat. Whisk in flour and red pepper flakes and cook, whisking for 3 minutes to make a roux. Whisk in the milk in a slow stream, then bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Stir in cream, cheddar, mustard, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover the surface of the sauce with waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming.
Cook macaroni in a 6 quart pot of boiling salted water. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; then drain the macaroni. Stir together the macaroni, reserved cooking water and sauce in a large bowl; then transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over the macaroni. Bake until top is golden and bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. Makes 8 main-course servings
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
Source: "The Gourmet Cookbook" Houghten Mifflin, 2004.

 

 

 

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