Creamy, Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Mac & cheese is a very serious thing at our house. It has to be creamy, cheesy, gooey, and still have that crunchy, crusty, delicious top. I have tried several recipes to find the perfect combination of all these things, it took a lot of cooking and a ton of tasting, but I finally found the perfect Mac & Cheese recipe that my family loves! Get ready for the best mac & cheese of your life!

Note: This recipe is a little time consuming, but it is totally worth it. Total cooking time is probably around 1 hr. Also, this recipe makes enough to feed an army, there is generally enough leftovers for 3-4 days.

Macaroni & Cheese:
1 (8 oz) box elbow macaroni
1 tbs. Kosher salt
3 tbs. unsalted butter
3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tbs. mustard powder
1 tbs. onion powder
1/2 tbs. paprika
1 dried bay leaf
3 cups 1% milk
1 large egg, beaten
12 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping:
1 1/2 cup Italian style Panko breadcrumbs
3 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Pour in the macaroni and about 1 tbs. of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

While the pasta is cooking, start the cheese sauce. In a 3-quart dutch oven, over medium heat, begin melting 3 tbs. butter. Once the butter has melted, add the 3 tbs. flour, whisking continuously, until the mixture becomes a pale blonde color and should resemble the texture of wet sand. Next add the mustard powder, onion powder, paprika, bay leaf and whisk to combine. Add the milk and continuously whisk for 7-8 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the bay leaf.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. While continuously whisking the egg, add a few tablespoons of the sauce. (You want to bring the temperature of the egg up to the temperature of the sauce, so when you add the egg to the sauce mixture it does not scramble.) Add a few more tablespoons of the sauce into the egg and continue whisking. Next add the egg mixture into the sauce pot and whisk vigorously. Stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the macaroni noodles.

Top the macaroni mixture with the cheese. Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the macaroni and cheese. Place in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.