Baked Macaroni and Cheese with a Crisp Crumb Top

What you need

• 340 g (12 oz) elbow macaroni
• 60 g (4 tbsp) butter, plus extra for the dish
• 40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp paprika, sweet
• 720 ml (3 cups) whole milk, warmed
• 340 g (12 oz) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 30 g (1 oz) parmesan, finely grated
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 60 g (1 cup) dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F) and butter a 2-litre (2-quart) baking dish.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.

3. 3

   Cook the macaroni for 2 min less than the packet says, so it stays firm. Drain and set aside.

4. 4

   Melt the butter in a wide, deep pan over medium-low heat.

5. 5

   Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and paprika and cook, whisking, until it smells toasty but has not coloured, about 1 min.

6. 6

   Pour in about a third of the milk and whisk hard until smooth, then add the rest a little at a time.

7. 7

   Keep stirring, reaching into the corners, until the sauce simmers and coats a spoon, 5-6 min. Season with the salt and pepper.

8. 8

   Take the pan off the heat. Set aside a handful of the cheddar, then stir the rest in until melted.

9. 9

   Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce and tip it into the baking dish. Spread it level.

10. 10

    Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and the parmesan.

11. 11

    Scatter the reserved cheddar over the macaroni, then the buttered crumb mix.

12. 12

    Bake until the edges bubble and the top is golden, 20-25 min.

13. 13

    Let it stand for 5 min before serving so the sauce settles.

Imported from hilahcooking.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.