Baked Mac and Cheese

This has become one of my favorite week night dinners. It is super yummy and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. I inherited this recipe from my sister, an amazing cook, but it originates from Alton Brown on the Food Network. I have to admit Alton is not my favorite Food Network guy, but this mac and cheese is delicious, so I have to give him credit. I've made a few changes to make it more my taste.

Please keep in mind that this recipe is not exactly a healthy meal. Definitely make sure you have some fruit and vegetables to go with it. Then you can feel okay about eating this delicious cheesiness.

Ingredients:
10 oz. Elbow Macaroni
3 T Butter
3 T Flour
1 T Mustard
3 C Milk
1/2 C Diced Onion
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 t Paprika
1 Egg
8 oz. Cheddar Cheese
1 t Kosher Salt

Topping:
2 T Butter
1 C Bread Crumbs

Directions:
1.Cook pasta according to package directions. While it's cooking you've got a lot to do.
2. In a medium sized pot melt the butter. Whisk in flour and mustard . Stir and keep it moving for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, onions, and paprika. Let it simmer about 10 minutes. Stir frequently.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Temper in the egg. (This is to prevent the egg from cooking when it hits all of the hot liquid in your pot. Mix the egg up in a small bowl and add a little bit of the milk mixture at a time to help bring it up to temperature. Then you can add the egg mixture into the pot.)
5. Stir in the cheese and stir until it's melted and gooey.
6. Fold in the macaroni noodles, and pour everything into a 2 quart pan.
7. Time to make the bread crumbs. Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add in the bread crumbs and coat them with the butter. Stir them around until they start to brown slightly.
8. Pour the bread crumbs on top of the macaroni.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. This makes about 6-8 servings.

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