Ingredients:
2
Tbsp butter
2
Tbsp flour
2
1/2 cups milk
2
1/2 cups old cheddar cheese, grated
1/8
tsp ground nutmeg
2
Tbsp melted butter
1
cup bread crumbs
1
1/2 cups old cheddar cheese, grated
1/2
tsp salt
5
grinds black pepper
pinch
cayenne
Instructions:
1.
Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2.
Meanwhile, make white sauce (aka bechamel). In a heavy saucepan melt the butter
until bubbly but not brown. Add the flour all at once and whisk until it forms
a smooth paste. Begin adding milk
slowly, a little at a time whisking all the while gradually increasing to a
steady stream until all the milk has been added. Add nutmeg and season with salt and
pepper.
3.
Preheat the oven to 350'F. Cook sauce
over medium heat, stirring around the bottom frequently (to keep sticking and
burning to a minimum) until sauce has first boiled, then thickened. It is done when the sauce is thick enough to
heavily coat a spoon. Remove from heat
and stir in first quantity grated cheese. Stir until fully melted.
4.
Stir the drained noodles into the cheese sauce and pour into a 9x13 inch glass
baking dish or other similar dish. In
another bowl, mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs and remaining cheese
and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the noodle mixture as evenly as
possible. Bake uncovered until macaroni
and cheese bubbles around the edges and the topping is a nice golden brown
colour (about 30-45 minutes). Remove
from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Alternatively, skip baking the pasta and
freeze until you are ready to serve. It
may take 45 minutes to an hour in the oven if coming straight from the freezer.
Yield: One 9x13 inch pan or enough to feed 4-6 as
a meal.
