Classic Macaroni & Cheese

Perfect for the Boxing Day hangover! Classic mac’n’cheese is your faithful friend, swooping in to warm your belly and provide the much needed comfort after the craziness of the holiday has torn through your home! Keep this one in your recipe box...

It's crucial to cook the pasta until tender--just past the "al dente" stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta.

Serves 6 to 8

Bread Crumb Topping

• 6 slices white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta & Cheese

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 and a half teaspoons powdered mustard
• 3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cups 1% milk
• 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded * (I use Balderson’s Aged White Cheddar)
• 1 teaspoon table salt

Method

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 litres water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour and mustard and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Add Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheese and 1 teaspoon salt until cheese are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.