Better Macaroni and Cheese

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• Pasta
• Better Macaroni and Cheese

• Bread Crumb Topping
• 5 slices high quality sandwich bread
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Pulse bread and butter in food processor until bread is broken down into fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Pasta
• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler.
• 4 quarts water
• Bring water to boil in a large stock pot over high heat.
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Add salt to water.
• 1 pound macaroni or pipe rigate pasta
• Add pasta to water and stir well. Cook until pasta is just al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
• Cheese Sauce
• Note: You can make the sauce in a separate saucepan or you can wait until pasta is done cooking and reuse the empty stockpot to make the sauce and save yourself an extra dish to cleanup.
• 5 tablespoons butter
• In a large saucepan or in the empty stock pot used to cook the passta, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming.
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Add flour and spices to pot and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until butter becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute.
• 5 cups whole or 2% milk
• While whisking frequently, slowly pour in milk. Stop after each full cup of milk has been added and whisk until full incorporated.
• Bring milk mixture to a boil while whisking frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to a creamy consistency, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in cheeses until fully melted.
• reserved pasta
• Add reserved pasta.
• Return pot to stove and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is heated through, about 2 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer contents to an oven safe 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• reserved bread crumbs
• Sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs.
• Broil until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Note: Keep a very close eye on it as it will quickly go from golden brown to burned!
• Cool about 5 minutes and serve.

• 5 slices high quality sandwich bread
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 pound macaroni or pipe rigate pasta
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 cups whole or 2% milk
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• reserved pasta
• reserved bread crumbs

1. Pulse bread and butter in food processor until bread is broken down into fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler.
3. Bring water to boil in a large stock pot over high heat.
4. Add salt to water.
5. Add pasta to water and stir well. Cook until pasta is just al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
6. Note: You can make the sauce in a separate saucepan or you can wait until pasta is done cooking and reuse the empty stockpot to make the sauce and save yourself an extra dish to cleanup.
7. In a large saucepan or in the empty stock pot used to cook the passta, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming.
8. Add flour and spices to pot and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until butter becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute.
9. While whisking frequently, slowly pour in milk. Stop after each full cup of milk has been added and whisk until full incorporated.
10. Bring milk mixture to a boil while whisking frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to a creamy consistency, about 5 to 10 minutes.
11. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in cheeses until fully melted.
12. Add reserved pasta.
13. Return pot to stove and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is heated through, about 2 to 4 minutes.
14. Transfer contents to an oven safe 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
15. Sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs.
16. Broil until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Note: Keep a very close eye on it as it will quickly go from golden brown to burned!
17. Cool about 5 minutes and serve.