Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni or bowties, small shells or fusilli
1 1/2quarts boiling water, with salt (1 tbsp)
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/3 cup Butter (80 g on kitchen scale)
3 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Mustard
2 1/4 cups Milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, though go with your heart on this one and go ahead and use what you’ve got; Gruyere is divine! Got some Monterey Jack cheese? Have at ‘er! Havarti? Yup, that works too!
1/2 Dry Breadcrumbs (Store bought breadcrumbs, make your own-use garlic bread, hotdog/hamburger buns, ground up in a food processor)
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350C
Spray 8″ or 9″ Casserole dish with vegetable oil spray; set asisde.
Prepare topping:
Melt butter in pot you will use to cook pasta in. Pour melted butter over breadcrumbs you have placed in a small mixing bowl.
Rub together until breadcrumbs are coated with butter; set aside.
In large uncovered saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water, until tender but firm, about 10 minutes.
Drain, set aside.
In same pot, melt butter and sautee onion over medium/high heat until soft and clear, about 3 – 5 minutes
Sprinkle onion with flour, salt and pepper, paprika. Whisk until combined. Stir in milk, a bit at a time, bringing mixture to a boil before adding a bit more milk. Repeat until all milk is stirred in.
Once all milk is stirred in, continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Stir in Cheese(s) and mustard.
Turn out into prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven and serve.
Serves 4 – 6
