Jen's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I am very picky about mac n cheese - I won't touch that stuff in the box. I like it to be creamy, yet do not like the flavor of the "processed" cheese which makes it creamy. I played around with this quite a bit to get the right blend of creaminess and flavor, along with the topping I prefer on my mac n cheese.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 8  ounces elbow macaroni
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 3  cups milk
• 1  tablespoon dry mustard
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8  ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

• Topping

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 cup  breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Cook macaroni al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, paprika and onion until smooth. Gradually stir in milk.
4. Bring to a boil, strirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in Velveeta and 1 C cheddar until smooth.
5. Fold macaroni into cheese sauce and pour into casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
6. For topping, melt butter and toss with bread crumbs to coat. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni. Bake 30-40 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.