Mac and Cheese

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 250 g pasta (macaroni), broken into pieces, or elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 350 ml milk
• 1 medium-sized white onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp paprika powder
• 1 large egg(s)
• 400 g cheese (Cheddar), coarsely grated
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp butter
• 65 g breadcrumbs (Panko), alternatively regular breadcrumbs

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

American macaroni and cheese casserole

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Cook the macaroni in a saucepan until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in another saucepan, add the flour, and mix well with the butter until no lumps remain. Add the mustard, milk, onions, bay leaf, and paprika to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf. Carefully break in the egg, add 3/4 of the cheese, and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add the drained pasta to the mixture and pour everything into a baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. For the crust, melt the butter in a pan and mix the panko flour or breadcrumbs with the butter, then pour it over the macaroni. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the macaroni for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving the mac and cheese.