recipecommunity | Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Alton Brown

I found this recipe years ago when I watched Food Network religiously and it's the one I use the most.

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard (I don't use this when I make it)
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf (or this)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (or this)
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use regular salt)
Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

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Most of the time I make it with the breadcrumbs on half because my oldest doesn't like them but the panko breadcrumbs are very crunchy and they go good with the gooey cheese - so you could make it without the topping and it would still taste fine.