1 lb. elbow macaroni
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
3 3/4 c. hot milk
8 T butter
6 T flour
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 T dijon mustard
6 c grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350F. Cook macaroni in salted, boiling water until al dente - about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Melt 6 T of butter in a saucepan over Med-Low heat. Add flour & cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes. The flour mixture must foam as it cooks, and be careful not to burn the butter. Stir in the cayenne, white pepper & salt. Whisk in the hot milk one cup at a time & cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low & stir in the mustard and 4 cups of the cheese. Cook, stirring, until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
Combine the cheese sauce & macaroni in a large bowl & season with salt if needed. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over the bottom of a 8x11" buttered baking dish. Put 1/3 of the macaroni mixture in the dish, top with another 1/2 cup of cheese, then repeat the layering twice, ending with the cheese.
Pour cream over the assembled macaroni & cheese. Melt 2T of butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs & stir well to coat with the melted butter, then sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.
