Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 cups) elbow macaroni
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
12 ounces extra sharp Cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon Watkins Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Topping:
3 slices dry white bread
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
Butter and set aside a casserole dish that’s large enough to hold 9 cups of noodles and sauce. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then add the elbow macaroni and cook until it’s al dente. Drain the noodles, leaving them slightly wet and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the 1/4 cup of water.
To make the roux, melt the butter over low heat in a medium-size skillet (a) then sprinkle in the flour (b) stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the milk (c) 1/2 cup at a time.
Reduce the heat to medium-low so the sauce does not boil and sir in the Cheddar a cup or so at a time. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the salt, the mustard and if you like, the cayenne pepper, until the mixture is smooth and evenly blended.
Pour the sauce over the noodles and sitr well. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish, smoothing the top with a spoon if necessary.
Finely chop the bread and garlic and mix them with the Parmesan in a medium-size bowl. (You can also combine them using a food processor, pulsing the ingredients until they form medium-size crumbs.) Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly over the macaroni. Then cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and distribute them over the topping.
Bake the casserole on the center rack until it is bubbly and golden brown on top, about 25 minutes.
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