Cooking with Love

Southern style Mac and Cheese

Wanted to serve something that went with pulled beef and complimented the barbeque sauce. It came out great.  Here is what you use:

1/2 lb of corkscrew or elbow pasta, cooked two minutes less than done, drained

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 chopped white onion 

1 tsp salt

3 cups whole milk

1 egg

1 cup panko crumbs (reg bread crumbs would be OK)

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups Sharp cheddar cheese grated

Directions:

Make a roux by placing the chopped onion in the melted 3 TBS of butter till onion is soft. On medium heat, add the flour by sprinkling it over the onion and combining till flour is cooked and the consistency is creamy. Let cook while whisking. Careful not to BURN. If you let it cook too long, it will begin to get very dark. Start over if that happens. 

Beat the egg in a cup.

Start whisking in the milk a little at a time, incorporating the beaten egg into the cold milk in the roux. Careful not to add the egg mixture into hot liquid. 

Once the milk and egg are combined with the onion and butter, keep whisking the sauce. Add the mustard, paprika, salt, white pepper. Whisk constantly until the liquid becomes thick and bubbly. 

Add 2 1/2 cups of the grated sharp cheddar into the white sauce. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese for top.

Combine drained pasta with the cheese sauce. In a buttered baking pan (8x8), pour the prepared Mac and cheese. In saucepan, toast the cup of panko crumbs till golden. Add the melted 4 TBS of butter to the toasted panko crumbs. With fingers, mix coated crumbs until completely combined.

Top macaroni and cheese with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar. Top cheddar with panko crumbs. 

Place prepared pan on cookie sheet to avoid spillage.

Bake at 350 in center of oven for 1/2 hr to 45 minutes. Let cook before serving.

Enjoy!

Note:

I doubled the recipe to serve 8