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Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Bechamel Sauce

Elton Graham
Chief Marketing Officer

Description

This was my favorite dish as a kid, and when I left for college, my mom sent me with the recipe — the same well-worn xeroxed copy I keep today.

I’ve made it for my kids for years, and it quickly became one of their favorites. After all, is there anything more comforting—or more kid-friendly— than macaroni?

When my daughter left for college this fall, I passed the recipe on to her. Funny how a simple dish can tell the story of a family.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

½ onion, minced

2½ cups hot milk

A few peppercorns

Pinch of thyme

1 tiny bay leaf (or a piece of one)

Salt

Grated nutmeg


For the Macaroni and Cheese:

3 cups prepared Béchamel (from recipe above)

1 lb mostaccioli noodles (about 2½ inches long)

4 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

¾ lb Fontina cheese, coarsely grated

Fresh-ground black pepper

1 cup buttered breadcrumbs

Butter (for greasing baking dish)

Procedure

Make the Béchamel:

1. In the top of a double boiler, heat the butter until bubbly.

2. Add the minced onion and cook over very low heat for 3–4 minutes.

3. Stir in the flour and cook a few minutes more.

4. Begin adding the hot milk, little by little, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

5. As it thickens, add a few peppercorns, a pinch of thyme, and the tiny bay leaf.

6. Season with salt and a little nutmeg.

7. Cook slowly for 10–15 minutes, then strain through a sieve.

You should now have approx. 3 cups of sauce.


Prepare the Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Cook the mostaccioli until just al dente.

3. Drain and set aside.


Assemble the Dish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Butter a 2½–3 quart baking dish.

3. Combine the Fontina and Parmesan in a bowl.

4. Layer the ingredients as follows:
o ⅓ of the pasta
o ⅓ of the cheese mixture
o ⅓ of the Béchamel
o A generous grating of black pepper

5. Repeat for two more layers.

6. Sprinkle the top evenly with the buttered breadcrumbs.


Bake

Bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, until the top is well browned and the dish is bubbling.


Serve

Serve immediately with a sharp green salad and a good Chianti!