Mac 'n Cheese - Gourmet Style

Several Christmases ago my sister gave me the first Gourmet Cookbook, published in 2004 (could it really be six years ago?  I would have guessed three).  She was so enthusiastic about the contents that she also bought one for each of her adult sons.  It was pretty funny sitting around the tree watching as each one of us in succession hefted the gift to our laps, tore away the wrapping, and squealed in surprise and delight.  Ok, my nephews didn't exactly squeal.

It didn't take long to discover the one recipe that would justify buying three copies, even if the other 999+ recipes wouldn't (thankfully not the case):  Macaroni and Cheese.  In fact, I think I'd barely walked back into my house following the holiday when I had a message from my sister:  "Make the macaroni and cheese.  It's the best recipe ever.  The boys agree."  I rarely disagree with my sister because she's the oldest and she's (almost) always right.  This time was no exception.

Since then, this has become the go to recipe.  It's what I took to my friend's house following the birth of her third child (along with some fried chicken that we don't discuss) and is hands down the best one I've tried.  You start by making the easy peasy topping: panko breadcrumbs, butter, and extra sharp cheddar cheese (see large bowl in center above).  Next comes the spicy roux of (more) butter, flour, and red chili flakes.

When you have a light caramel colored roux you add a crapload of whole milk and, once that has come to a boil, (more) extra sharp cheddar cheese, nearly a cup of heavy cream, some dijon mustard, and salt & pepper.  Mix the sauce with cooked pasta and a little of the reserved pasta water, and sprinkle with the topping. I've taken to dusting it with paprika (the smoky kind when the kids aren't looking) before popping it in the oven.  Before:

And 25 minutes later you have bubbly cheesy deliciousness which will more than likely require a second helping.   After:

Which is why it's important to remember to do something like this as well:

The good news is, this recipe makes a LOT of mac 'n cheese - enough for the three of us to have it for dinner twice in one week.  Actually, maybe that's not such good news.