Brook’s Baked Mac + Cheese
From the kitchen of: Brook Harlan (Columbia, MO)
Comfort food is always a welcome site in my house. I feel like this is the epitome of comfort food. It takes the ooey-gooeynees of mac and cheese and adds a buttery crunch. it is a great way to also sneak in some of those random mushrooms, half of an onion or extra couple of strips of bacon that are in the fridge that need to get used up. My wife and kids love it and makes great leftovers the next day.
Baked Mac and Cheese
(Prepares 3-4 servings)
Ingredients
½ pound of dry pasta
2 ounces of butter
2 ounces of flour
1 quart of milk
1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or other breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons melted butter (for breadcrumbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 4 ounces of cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
3 to 4 ounces of sautéed vegetables (optional)
Instructions:
Cook the pasta in 2 to 4 quarts of salted water until al dente (has a slight bite, but not a crunch), drain and reserve. While the pasta is cooking, you can make your Béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook roux for 1 to 2 minutes until the bubbles have mostly disappeared (the moisture from the butter and flour evaporating). Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer (continue to whisk every 30 to 60 seconds). Turn to a very low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (continue to whisk every 1 to 2 minutes). Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
After Béchamel has simmered for 10 to 15 minutes and raw flour taste has cooked away, season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta, cheese and other ingredients (bacon and vegetables), taste and season if needed.
Place into a casserole dish, sauté pan or any oven-safe dish. Melt butter and mix with breadcrumbs and season lightly with salt. Lightly coat the top of pasta mixture with buttered breadcrumbs. If the mixture is within an inch of the top, place onto a baking sheet to catch any sauce that may boil over.
Place pan into the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the top becomes golden brown and the mixture is bubbling all the way into the center of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes to set. Serve and enjoy.
Note: Cool the extra, wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week (freeze for up to 3 months). You can take out a portion at a time and heat up on a plate in the microwave or if you have a whole pan, you can drizzle milk over the top to help moisturize the pasta and heat for about 25 minutes until bubbling in the oven.