1 lb. Elbow Macaroni, cooked in salted water and cooled
8 oz. Salted Butter, divided
6 oz. All Purpose Flour
3 cups Whole Milk
4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup Swiss Cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp. Sea or Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. White Pepper, ground
1 ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 T Paprika
1 T Garlic Powder
Method
1. In a heavy gauge pot, on medium heat, melt 6 oz. of the salted butter, reserve 2 oz.
2. Stir in the flour.
3. Lower the heat to medium low and stir this mixture frequently for 3-4 minutes.
4. Slowly pour in the cold whole milk and whisk well.
5. Continue to stir while adding the Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, salt and white pepper and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. In the microwave melt the remaining 2 oz. butter.
7. In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, paprika and garlic powder. Set aside.
8. Add the macaroni into the cheese sauce and mix well.
9. In a greased casserole dish, add macaroni and cheese sauce.
10. Top liberally (key word liberal) with the breadcrumb mixture.
11. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown
13. Serve piping hot
