My little one(Drew-24) is finally leaving the nesting area of the Eastern Shore for Colorado’s glorious scenery and healthy climate. I knew the time would come, but to his benefit, he doesn’t mind showing his skills in the kitchen. So any need for some home cooking in the days and months (sniff) ahead should be not to much of a challenge. It was only a short time ago when I sent him to away to college with a cookbook full of our family’s favorites. While being responsible for cooking for himself, he developed the necessary survival skills to avoid starvation. This Old Bay Mac and Cheese is one of his favorites!
To prep, cook the macaroni about 6 minutes, at least 1 minute before al dente time listed on package. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Whisk flour and Old Bay together. Then, add it to the melted butter in your Dutch Oven or large saucepan and continue to whisk for one minute after it starts to sizzle.
Add the warm milk and continue to whisk until thick and bubbly. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. You can also see that the sauce clings to the sides of the pan. Follow up with adding the cheese and whisking until melted. It’s possible to alter the cheese to your preference. For a recent neighborhood pot luck BBQ, I made this with a cheddar and mozzarella blend. It was fabulous! You should definitely give that combination a try!
Stir in the macaroni then pour it into non-stick cooking sprayed pan. 
For the topping, melt 4 T. of butter with 1 t. of Old Bay seasoning. Combine with 1-1/2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs. Spoon on top of the macaroni and cheese. Place in a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown. If you have a convection setting on your oven, change to that setting for the last 5 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden brown.
Oh, yum! I wish you could smell this fabulous aroma of comfort! Wait. You can! Just make this Old Bay Mac and Cheese and sprinkle your serving with additional Old Bay for an additional finishing garnish which will not disappoint you!
Old Bay Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni
- 4 c milk~ I used 1%, any type will work
- 1/2 c flour
- 1-2 t Old Bay Seasoning, your preference
- 1/2 c butter
- 4 c Shredded cheese~ Cheddar/ Mozzarella is my fav but use your preference or what you have on hand
Topping
- 1-1/2 c Panko Bread Crumbs
- 4 T melted butter
- 1 t Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions
- Cook macaroni 1 minute before listed al dente time in salted boiling water.
- Microwave milk for about 3 minutes to warm.
- Melt stick of butter in Dutch Oven or large saucepan over low heat.
- Whisk flour with the desired amount of Old Bay then add to the melted butter. Allow it to bubble for about a minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the warmed milk and stir until thickened; it should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- At this point, add your cheese of choice and stir until melted.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the macaroni until it's evenly distributed throughout the cheese mixture.
- Pour into a prepared pan, similar in size to 13" x 9" x 2" .
- For the topping, thoroughly mix the Panko bread crumbs, melted butter and Old Bay. Spread evenly over the top.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top in lightly golden brown. I've used the convection oven setting for the last 5 minutes to obtain that desired color.
- When serving, garnish with a sprinkle of Old Bay for an amazing effect. Enjoy!
