Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients: 5 cups shredded Colby Jack or Sharp Cheddar cheese 2 cups WHOLE milk 3 Tbsp unsalted, sweet cream butter 1 small onion, chopped 2 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 Tbsp prepared mustard (I used French's) 1/2 cup Progresso's Italian Panko breadcrumbs 1 box (one pound) Mostaccioli (Penne) pasta (can substitute with either Ziti or large elbow) Instructions: Boil water in a large pot and prepare pasta according to directions on package, only don't cook as long as package says, you want the pasta more firm than "al dente" (I cooked the Penne for 7 mins). Drain but DO NOT rinse pasta, put back in pot and set aside (you can add a tsp of olive oil and stir into pasta to keep it from sticking together while you are cooking the cheese sauce) **Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees** Melt butter in a 2 quart sauce pan (I used a non-stick one for easy clean up) and add onion, saute until translucent. Remove sauce pan from heat, add flour and mix well. Add milk and return sauce pan to stove, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until it comes to a slow boil. Add cheese (one cup at a time) stirring constantly until smooth. Add salt, pepper and mustard to cheese and stir until well blended. Pour cheese sauce over pasta that's in pot and stir until pasta is completely coated. Spray 9x9 OR 9x11 baking dish (I used glass Pyrex) with PAM cooking spray. Pour macaroni and cheese mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle Italian panko breadcrumbs over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown @375 degrees. Serve, Eat and Enjoy NOTE: If you can't find the Italian Panko breadcrumbs in your grocery store you can combine 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs. The Italian seasoning in the breadcrumbs gives a nice flavor to this recipe and the Panko breadcrumbs are what gives the topping a nice crunch. Also, you could stir in some diced ham, cooked bacon or even vegetables (broccoli for example) to the macaroni and cheese right before baking.

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