Art Smiths Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain well.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a deep 4-quart casserole.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour.
• Gradually whisk in the milk.
• Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the American cheese.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
• Combine the remaining cheddar and American cheeses.
• Spread one third of the penne over the bottom of the casserole dish.
• Top with half of the shredded cheese and a third of the sauce.
• Repeat, using another third of the penne with the remaining cheese and half the sauce.
• Finish with the remaining penne and sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Bake until bubbly and golden brown over the edges, about 30 minutes.