Super Cheesy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter, plus additional for dish
  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons minced onion
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup grated young Gouda cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Emmenthal cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Butter 3-quart casserole dish.

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook macaroni 2 to 3 minutes less than package directions (you want it a little chewy). Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, cook onion in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in mustard and paprika. Add milk in a stream, whisking vigorously until mixture is smooth. Simmer sauce until it has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Whisk in grated Gouda, cheddar and Emmenthal cheeses, until sauce is once again smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce; pour mixture into prepared dish.

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over the top of macaroni. Bake until golden on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Special notes:

While you can substitute aged cheddar and Gouda, your casserole won’t have the same sublimely smooth cheese sauce, thanks to how the proteins of aged cheese react when being heated.

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