Macaroni And Cheese With Crumb Topping Recipes

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Put the bay leaves, leek and milk in a pan, and gently heat until steaming but just below boiling point. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 1 hr.
• Drain the milk and discard the leek and bay. Wipe out the pan, then add the butter, flour and mustard powder. Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted, then cook to a paste for 1 min. Splash in some milk gradually and stir until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, a little at a time at first, then gradually add more as the mixture gets saucy. (If you get any lumps, give it a vigorous whisk to remove them.) Heat, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pan so it doesn't catch, until the sauce is bubbling and nicely thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g of the cheddar and 25g of the parmesan. Season really well - keep tasting, as it will need a generous amount of salt.
• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions, until it is almost tender but still has a bit of chew to it. Drain well, then stir into the cheese sauce with three-quarters of the spring onions. Scrape into a large ovenproof dish or several individual ones.
• Scatter the remaining cheddar over the macaroni, then alternate between draping over pancetta slices (bunching them up a bit) and scattering with the bread cubes and remaining spring onions. (If you keep swapping between ingredients you'll get a nice mix of everything on the top.) Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and add a very little drizzle of oil - holding your thumb over the bottle so just a trickle comes out. Can now be cooled, covered and chilled for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 40 mins until bubbling, and crunchy and golden on top (if using individual dishes, check after 30 mins).

Steps:

• Mix bread crumbs, Asiago cheese, and paprika in a medium bowl.
• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add flour and stir 3 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in milk, then mustard and pepper.
• Cook until thickened, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Mix in cheese and parsley.
• Cool sauce slightly.
• (Topping and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce, stirring frequently and thinning with milk if necessary, before continuing). Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Butter 15 x 10 x 2-inch Glass baking dish.
• Cook Macaroni in pot of boiling salted water until just tender BUT still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
• Drain Macaroni.
• Return macaroni to pot; mix in sauce.
• Season to taste with salt.
• Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
• Sprinkle with topping and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Bake until cheese is bubbling and crumbs are brown, about 40 minutes.
• Cool slightly and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Lightly butter a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
• Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil.
• Add the macaroni, stir well, and cook for about 6 minutes.
• The macaroni will still be quite al dente; it will cook further in the oven.
• Do not overcook; drain thoroughly.
• While the pasta is draining, return the pot to the stove, add 4 tablespoons of the butter, and melt over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and reduce the heat to low.
• Let the flour mixture bubble, whisking occasionally, without browning, for 2 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to medium, and bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat, add the cheeses, and stir until the cheeses are melted.
• Return the macaroni to the pot and stir well.
• Season to taste with salt and hot pepper sauce.
• In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
• Spread the macaroni evenly in the prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs.
• Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the crumbs.
• Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned, about 40 minutes.
• Serve hot, directly from the baking dish.

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
• In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
• Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.