Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients:
1 lb of pasta (I used elbow pasta for this, but honestly anything but spaghetti or a string-like pasta)
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of AP flour
4 cups of whole milk (if you want to get fancy, you can do different combinations of milk like half whole milk and half heavy cream)
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning
2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp of salt
8 oz. of mild cheddar cheese; shredded
8 oz. of jack cheese; shredded
7 oz. of Kerrygold Dubliner cheddar cheese; shredded
7 oz. of gruyere cheese; shredded
3 tbsp of breadcrumbs
A note on shredded cheese: You can TOTALLY buy pre-shredded cheese, but I find it is cheaper to buy the block cheese and shred it yourself, if you have the time. You can use a food processor or a block grater, whatever works for you.
Under boil your pasta, drain and set aside. For example, if the pasta needs 8 minutes to cook, cook the pasta for 6 minutes. Set aside. Use a tiny pat of butter to keep the hot noodle separated and not sticking together.
While your pasta is cooking, preheat your oven to 350F and pull out a 9x13 casserole dish.
In a pot, and on low heat, melt your butter until fully melted. Whisk in the flour to create a roux, which should look like a pale paste. Slowly pour in your milk combo and whisk so there are not lumps or chunks. You want a thick and milky mixture.
Gradually add in most of your shredded cheese and mix continuously. Save some of the cheese for topping! It will take a while for your cheese to fully melt into a sauce.
Once your cheese is melted and your sauce is thickened, stir in your spices and adjust to your taste. You should have more flavor than just cheese.
Add your cooked noodles into your buttered casserole dish and pour your cheese sauce over the top. Mix well! You want every noodle covered and you want the consistency to be not too saucey but not dry.
Top the noodle mixture with your leftover shredded cheese and your breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is all melty and crispy to your liking.