Mason's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb. small pasta, like penne, gemelli, or corkscrew
3 T butter
3 T flour
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar
1 cup shredded mozarella
2 T mustard
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Method:
0. Preheat the oven to 375 if eating immediately.
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water. Drain the pasta back into the same pot.
2. Once you add the pasta to the water, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and whisk to combine. Let the butter and flour, now a roux, cook for 3 minutes, stirring every 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Get ready to whisk. Add the milk 3/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly, waiting for the milk to get hot before adding more. Once all the milk is in, cook the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the milk has reduced/condensed a little.
4. Add the 2 1/2 cups of the cheese to the milk, 1 handful at a time, stirring (not whisking) very often. Wait until the cheese melts before adding more.
5. Meanwhile, grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter or oil.
6. When the cheese is totally combined from the milk, take the saucepan off the heat.
7. In the large pot that you cooked the pasta in, pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine. Pour this into the greased baking pan. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and panko bread crumbs over the top.
8. Loosely tent foil over the pan of macaroni and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, switch the broiler on, and cook the top for 5 to 15 minutes: however long it takes to become golden brown and delicious.
9. Remove from the oven and wait 5 to 10 minutes before eating. If you don't wait, the macaroni will not have time to set and will flop all over the place when you try to get it out of the pan. Waiting is critical! After you patiently wait, eat!



With some steak and greenery: