BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE PIONEER WOMAN RECIPES

Steps:

• Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
• In a small bowl, beat egg.
• n a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
• Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
• Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
• Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
• Add in cheese and stir to melt.
• Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT. (Also becareful not to over salt.).
• Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.
• Either way YUM YUM YUM! (Try not to eat the whole pot!).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°. Brush the cups of three 12-cup mini cupcake pans with the melted butter. Then sprinkle each tin with breadcrumbs and shake the pan, tilting to coat with breadcrumbs. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, make the béchamel: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until very lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in the mustard and paprika.  While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese, a small handful at a time, stirring until the cheese is melted before adding the next addition. (You should have 2½ cups cheese sauce.) Remove from the heat and stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then scrape the mac and cheese into the eggs and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  Mound about 2 rounded tablespoons of the mac and cheese mixture into each cup of the prepared cupcake pan. Bake until the cheese is melted and the bites are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the tins. Run a knife around the outside of each bite before removing it. Serve warm or at room temperature with hot sauce on the side, if desired.