Macaroni and Cheese
3C whole milk
2 bay leaves
¾ - 1 lb. elbow macaroni
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
5 Tbsp. flour
3C grated cheese, such as
Cheddar or Swiss and a combination
1/2C freshly grated
parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1C panko bread crumbs or
more to taste
Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add one
tablespoon salt and return to the boil.
Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain but do not rinse. Place in a large bowl.
Heat the milk in a small
pan with the bay leaves. Let stand. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat,
melt 5 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy add the flour and cook,
whisking, until the mixture thickens.
Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about ¼ cup of the milk to
the hot flour mixture, stirring with a whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a
little more milk and continue to do so until the milk is used up and the
mixture is thick and smooth. Add the
cheese and stir in.
Pour the sauce over the
macaroni and toss in the parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Use the remaining butter to grease a 10-inch
rectangular or oval baking dish and turn the pasta mixture into it. Sprinkle liberally with the bread crumbs and
bake until the crumbs turn brown – about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
MAKES: 8 servings