Baked Macaroni And Cheese! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon mustard powder
3 cups milk
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 large egg
12 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk flour and mustard powder into melted butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Mix milk, onion, paprika, and bay leaf into flour mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf from sauce.
Beat about 2 tablespoons sauce and egg together in a bowl to temper egg. Pour egg mixture into sauce and stir gently. Mix 3/4 of the Cheddar cheese into the sauce until melted and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Fold macaroni into cheese sauce and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over macaroni mixture.
Stir panko bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons melted butter together in a bowl; sprinkle over cheese layer.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.