Mac n Cheese the handcrafted way!

My wife and I have been talking about homemade Macaroni and Cheese for a while now, though we haven't been too keen on the idea of making ourselves since every homemade version we've ever tasted hasn't been all that great.  They've tended to be overdone, too gummy, or in most cases lack any kind of flavor at all.

After the last year of learning and trying new recipes, I figured I was ready to tackle a Mac'n'cheese that would not only be nice and creamy, but also retain a cheesy flavor.  The key was in adapting a Bechamel sauce to make a nice creamy cheese sauce...and it was actually incredibly easy!

Here be the particulars:

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time 22-25 minutes

Bechamel Cheese sauce

• 4 ½ tablespoons butter

• 4 tablespoons flour

• 2 cups milk

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 3 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (from 16oz bag)

Topping

• ½ cup panko breading

• ¼ cup Italian style breadcrumbs

• Extra virgin olive oil

Prep/Utensils

• Oven Preheated to 400°

• Large and medium sauce pans

• Long wooden spoon

• Wire wisk

• Large Casserole dish (greased)

• Liquid measuring cup

• 1 cup measure

• Tablespoon

• Small bowl

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and sprinkle in the flour one tablespoon at a time. Wisk until completely incorporated and smooth. Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is a light, almost tan/sandy color.

While that is cooking, heat the milk in a separate pan to almost a boil. Slowly stir the milk into the butter mixture (or ‘roux’), again wisking until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the shredded cheese one cup at a time and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Cook one full 1lb box of Rotelle pasta until it’s just under Al dente (if the box says to cook for 8 minutes for Al Dente, then cook for 6 ½ -7 minutes) otherwise cook as instructed. Remove from heat and strain. Stir pasta into the Cheese Sauce, then pour the mixture into a well greased 9x9 casserole dish and spread it evenly with a spoon. Take the remaining cheese from the bag and sprinkle it over the Pasta.

Cover the dish with lid or foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the topping, mix the Breadcrumbs and the Panko in a small bowl, then set aside until Pasta has cooked for 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the topping over it then drizzle very light amount of the Olive Oil over the topping. This will help it brown but keep it from burning. Place dish back into the oven and cook under low broil setting for another seven minutes or until topping is golden brown.