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Note before cooking: You may want to read this recipe and assemble the ingredients before starting to cook this recipe.
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Many ingredients are called for with little or no time to gather the ingredients once you've started cooking.
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1.
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For the macaroni casserole topping, melt 2 tbsp.
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butter.
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Process the bread with melted butter in a food processor until bread is coarsely ground, about six 1-second pulses.
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Set topping aside.
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2.
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For the macaroni and cheese casserole itself, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
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Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in your largest Dutch oven over high heat.
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Stir in 1 tbsp.
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of salt and the 16 oz.
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macaroni.
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Cook, stirring occasionally, until ad dente, for ONLY 5 MINUTES (it will bake for 30 minutes longer).
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Drain the pasta and leave in the colander: set colander aside.
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3.
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Wipe the pot dry.
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Add the remaining 6 tbsp.
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butter to the pot and return to medium heat until melted.
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Add the garlic, mustard, and cayenne.
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Cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute.
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4.
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Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often until large bubbles form on the surface and the mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
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5.
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Off the heat, whisk in the Colby and Cheddar gradually until completely melted.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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6.
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Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir, breaking up any clumps, until well combined.
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Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the top with the bread-crumb topping made in step #1 above.
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Don't worry- the casserole will look watery and runny!
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It will firm up completely when baked.
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7.
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Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
