Baked Macaroni and Cheese

serves 6 - 8

• 1/2 pound of elbow macaroni
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of powdered mustard
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• teaspoon of black pepper
• 3 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of yellow onion - minced
• 1 egg
• 12 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
• 4 slices of white bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Melt the 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a medium bowl. (Save the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter for step #3 below.) Trim the crusts off the bread and cut into bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the butter and toss to coat. Set aside.

2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package. Drain.

3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate medium size pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over very low heat. Whisk in the flour and keep it moving for about one minute. Make sure it's free of lumps.

4. Whisk in the mustard, salt and pepper, and milk and add the onion. Simmer for about seven to ten minutes until thickened and smooth, stirring often.

5. In a medium bowl, beat one egg. Temper (warm) the egg by drizzling in, very slowly, 2-3 Tablespoons of the thickened milk mixture. Now add the egg mixture to the pot. Stir in the cheese. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour everything into a 2-quart casserole dish.

6. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Adapted from: Alton Brown