Baked Mac & Cheese

Instructions

Pasta Instructions:

1. Step
   Fill large, heavy-bottomed pot with well-salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the short pasta 2 –3 minutes less than what is indicated on the package. You want your pasta to be undercooked, as it will continue cooking in the cheese sauce when you bake it in the oven later.
2. Step
   Once the pasta has reached doneness (soft on the outside, raw/hard on the inside) drain and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Run pasta under cold water to cool and halt the cooking process.

Cheese Sauce Instructions:

1. Step
   Melt 4 tbsp butter in your large heavy-bottomed pot over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking constantly. Your roux should have the colour and consistency of light sand.
2. Step
   Combine all grated cheese in a bowl, mix and set aside.
3. Step
   Add mustard powder to roux and stir. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 4 - 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Step
   Remove bay leaf, whisk in cayenne, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slowly add all cheese, except 1/2 cup for the topping.
5. Step
   Whisk until combined and melted. If the cheese sauce is too thick (stiff and difficult to mix), slowly add some of the reserved pasta water until the sauce loosens to your liking.
6. Step
   Add pasta and mix until all noodles are covered evenly with the cheese sauce.

Baking Instructions:

1. Step
   Bake in preheated oven at 350°F. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and panko crumbs to cover the top of each dish evenly. Melt remaining butter and pour over the panko and cheese topping.
2. Step
   Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 10 - 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.