Art Smith's Macaroni And Cheese

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 lb penne or 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus extra for buttering casserole)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk, heated
• 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cups american cheese, finely chopped
• salt
• pepper (freshly ground)
• hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
• 2 add the penne and cook until al dente. drain well.
• 3 position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. butter a deep 4-quart casserole.
• 4 melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• 5 whisk in the flour.
• 6 gradually whisk in the milk.
• 7 bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
• 8 remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the american cheese.
• 9 season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
• 10 combine the remaining cheddar and american cheeses.
• 11 spread one third of the penne over the bottom of the casserole dish.
• 12 top with half of the shredded cheese and a third of the sauce.
• 13 repeat, using another third of the penne with the remaining cheese and half the sauce.
• 14 finish with the remaining penne and sauce. sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.
• 15 bake until bubbly and golden brown over the edges, about 30 minutes.