Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• some salt
• 300 g pasta (macaroni, short)
• 1 onion(s)
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 400 ml milk
• some black pepper from the mill
• 200 g Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 tbsp breadcrumbs

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package instructions until just al dente. Preheat the oven to 200°C (170°C fan/gas mark 3). Peel and finely dice the onions. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add the diced onions and cook until translucent. Add the flour and sauté until golden brown. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. Carefully drain the pasta into a sieve and let it drain well. Stir the cheese (except for 3 tablespoons) into the béchamel sauce and let it melt. Then stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce. Transfer the pasta mixture to a wide baking dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining 3 tablespoons of cheese and sprinkle over the pasta. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and place on top. Bake the casserole in a hot oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Tip: You can of course use elbow macaroni, penne, or fusilli in addition to the macaroni. Variations: The casserole tastes especially delicious if you add about 10 thin slices of bacon to the casserole for the last 10 minutes and let them crisp up. You can also add peeled tomatoes to the casserole. To do this, drain one small can (400g) of peeled tomatoes thoroughly in a sieve and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then mix these into the remaining ingredients.