Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Heat the oven to 375F (190C)

Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Grate the cheddar from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch to keep it from clumping in the bag, and that coating makes it melt into a grainy sauce.

Boil the macaroni 2 minutes short

Cook the macaroni in well salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the low end of the package time. It should still be firm at the center. The pasta keeps cooking in the oven and turns to mush if it starts out tender. Drain and set aside.

Make the roux

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking the whole time, until the paste smells faintly of toasted bread and has just started to turn blond.

Whisk in the milk

Add the warm milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly to keep it smooth. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and a finger drawn across the back leaves a clean line.

Melt in the cheese off the heat

Take the pan off the burner. Stir in the salt, dry mustard, pepper, and cayenne, then add 3 cups of the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition disappears. Direct heat makes the cheese break into oil and curds, so keep the pan off the stove.

Combine and top

Fold the macaroni into the sauce and tip it into the dish. Scatter the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top, then the panko.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes

Bake until the top is browned and the sauce bubbles at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets enough to hold a spoon shape.