My New Favorite Mac and Cheese

Last Saturday I put a pork shoulder in the fridge to defrost for Sunday evening. When I went to take it out to season, I wondered how the hell Chad and I were going to eat 3 lbs. of pulled pork. That's when I decided to invite the parents over for dinner. I used my favorite recipe for pulled pork, it comes out perfect every time.

When it came to thinking of sides to serve, I knew I couldn't go wrong with mac and cheese. I have made so many variations of this dish in the past, and I was ready to try another. So I looked on the Food Network site and Alton Brown's recipe caught my eye. That was the one. I made a few variations (very few, highlighted in red) and I am now claiming this as a new favorite.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(Alton Brown)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk ( I used half and half)
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded ( I used sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs



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 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.



Look who belongs to the clean plate club!