Macaroni and Cheese Bake

I usually get my macaroni and cheese fix from a little blue box. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I've never really had homemade mac and cheese. So I wondered - is it better? Is it worth the extra effort?

So I had to see for myself.

I got this recipe online, I also noticed that they had a recipe on the back of the macaroni box. It called for more milk and more butter. I wonder if it would have made it creamier?

Here's the recipe I tried:

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups of milk or half and half (I used half and half)

1 bay leaf

1 large egg (beaten)

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

fresh cracked black pepper

Toppings
3 tablespoons of butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta to al dente.
• In a separate pot, melt butter and whisk in flour at a little at a time, keep stirring for five minutes. Make sure its lump free.
• Stir in milk, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.
  


• Add egg and stir in 3/4 of the cheese, season with salt and pepper.





• Fold macaroni into the mix.





• Pour mixture into a cassarole dish. Top with remaining cheese

Topping

• In a skillet, melt butter and fold in the bread crumbs.





• Wait until they turn golden brown
• Top cassarole with bread crumbs
  

  

  
  
  Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.
  Let sit for five minutes before serving.