The ultimate comfort food. I use this as a side dish to serve alongside baked ham, meat loaf,or pork chops. But if you're like my daughter, it stands alone quite well as an entree, thank-you!
First - make the classic WHITE SAUCE:
2 cups milk,
4 T. butter.
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked & drained
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, using a whisk to blend evenly. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and continue to whisk until light brown (about 3 minutes.)
Slowly add milk, whisking in 1/2 cup at a time. Bring to a low boil and continue whisking until properly thickened, being sure to scrape bottom to keep from burning.
Remove from heat and stir in dry mustard, paprika, and black pepper. Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Gently fold in cooked macaroni.
Pour into a greased 8x8 glass baking dish or other oven safe container. Top with breadcrumb mixture (see below.) If desired, sprinkle top with a bit of paprika. Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cover with foil or lid for last 5 minutes of baking if topping gets too dark.
BREADCRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
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ABOUT THE PHOTO: You can see that the topping turns a nice golden brown and creates a wonderful crust on top of the creamy, cheesy macaroni. This keeps well for several days after baking. I also freeze any leftovers in small containers to take to work for lunch.
