Email to Cat      

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Source of Recipe

From "The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook" by Lisa Steele


Recipe Introduction

"There are two basic recipes for baked macaroni and cheese. One uses a roux as the base, while the other uses eggs. Both are equally delicious. I mean, c'mon—you can't go wrong with macaroni, butter, cheese, and some seasonings—but when I have extra eggs, I always like to make this macaroni and cheese with its custardy egg-based cheese sauce."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Butter for greasing the casserole dish
â—¦ 8 cups water
â—¦ 1 ½ cups milk, divided
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
â—¦ 8 ounces elbow macaroni
â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter, divided
â—¦ 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
â—¦ 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
â—¦ 2 eggs
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon grainy mustard
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon white pepper
â—¦ ¼ cup panko bread crumbs


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use butter to grease an 8- or 9-inch square casserole dish.

In a large pot bring the water, 1 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil, then add the macaroni. Stirring occasionally, cook until the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. (Tip: setting a measuring cup next to your pasta pot before you boil the water will help you remember to reserve some of the cooking water.) Drain the macaroni, then pour it into the prepared casserole dish.

Stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the macaroni until the butter melts. Sprinkle the cheeses over the macaroni. In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the cream, remaining ½ cup of milk, reserved pasta cooking liquid, eggs, mustard, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the macaroni, making sure to cover it evenly.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Place the casserole in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to allow the custard to set.

Makes 6 to 8 servings