This is a great recipe when you want comfort food with a little kick. If you're making it for the kiddies, just don't use the chipotle.
I found the recipe on Epicurious but adapted it with help of the reader reviews, which nixed the heavy cream. I used 2% instead of whole milk and it still came out very creamy.
If you follow the recipe on the site, it's going to yield huge proportions. If you have a family of eight children or are bringing the dish to a potluck, by all means go for it. I quartered the ingredients and had enough for three meals.
For garlic bread crumbs: (I halved the bread crumbs because I like a lot on my mac & cheese)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh bread crumbs
For pasta:
1 tbsp chopped chipotle chiles
1/8 stick of unsalted butter
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-fat milk
A bit of mustard (I used honey mustard since I didn't have dry on hand)
1/4 lb of macaroni
1/2 lb of extra sharp white Cheddar cheese
Bread crumbs:
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Once the foam is reduced, toss in the bread crumbs so they are all one layer. Stir until the crumbs are golden, then transfer on to paper towels.
The rest:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over moderate heat. Add the flour and wisk for a minute or so. Gradually add in the milk and mustard, still wisking. Simmer over low to moderate heat and wisk every few minutes. There will be lumps if the flour doesn't dissolve evenly, but it's fine.
Cook the macaroni in a pot of salted water until just tender. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in white sauce, cheese, an extra bit of salt, and chipotles. Spoon into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top generously with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until the dish starts to bubble.
Serves 2-3 people, depending on their appetites.
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