Baked Macaroni and Cheese

By merlin

Alton Brown--Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 pound large elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tsbp flour
• 1 tbsp powdered mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 larg egg
• 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• *Topping*
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• This is our modified version

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in all of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into bowl. Fold the macaroni into the bowl, mix. Pour into casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bred crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.