Baked Mac & Cheese With Panko Topping

Created by Chiffon on May 12, 2012

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 pounds cheddar cheese (extra sharp cheddar, grated, about 5 cups, don't use the low-fat cheese)
Salt and pepper

1 pound dry elbow macaroni (cooked and drained, it's 1 pound weight before the cooking)
PANKO TOPPING
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Step 1: Place the cooked macaroni in a dish or bowl. Butter a 9- by 13-inch glass baking pan. Preheat oven to 375?F.
Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt the butter. When butter is melted, stir in the flour with a whisk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a thick paste is formed. Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is smooth and lump-free before adding more milk. When all the milk has been mixed in, stir in the bay leaf and the mustard. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with the whisk, until mixture is thick and smooth.
Step 3: To the milk mixture, add cheese, a handful at a time, stirring until the cheese melts completely before adding more. When all the cheese has been incorporated, taste the mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Remove the bay leaf from the cheese sauce, then stir the sauce into the macaroni and stir the mixture to coat the macaroni completely with the sauce. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking pan.

Step 5: For panko topping: in a bowl place panko breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a small dish, and stir in the garlic powder. Drizzle the butter-garlic powder mixture over the breadcrumbs and toss to coat the breadcrumbs completely in the butter mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish.
Step 6: Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are browned.