Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 0.5 cup chopped onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups milk
• about 3/4 of cheese (unspecified type)
• Japanese breadcrumbs
• melted butter (for breadcrumbs)

Method

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and wait until it foams and bubbles.
2. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and cook until smooth and the color of your hair.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of dry mustard powder, 0.5 teaspoon of paprika, 0.5 cup chopped onions, 1 bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix into a paste.
4. Slowly pour in 3 cups of milk while whisking constantly, and cook until thickened.
5. Remove the bay leaf.
6. Tempering: add about 1-2 tablespoons of the hot sauce into a small spoonful of beaten egg, then return the mixture to the sauce to avoid scrambling the egg.
7. Add about 3/4 of the cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
8. Fold in cooked noodles and transfer to a casserole dish.
9. Top with a layer of Japanese breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter.
10. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes until golden and crispy on top.