Throw out the box...Homemade Mac & Cheese to die for recipe!

Granted, when time is short or when we want a quickie lunch, a boxed mac & cheese is still okay, but if you want something your family will beg for, or if you want to impress your friends, make it homemade!! I found this recipe in a book at the library, in fact I found SO MANY recipes in this book that I just HAD to have it! My loving husband purchased it for me as soon as he saw the oodles of post-it notes sticking out of the book: The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods you Can Stop Buying & Start Making by Alana Chernila

Ingredients:
1 lb penne, macaroni or shells
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces, including stem (OPTIONAL)
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for the pan
4 c. whole milk
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked), plus additional for sprinkling over the top
1 tsp dry mustard
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
1 lb grated cheddar cheese or a mix of cheddar & gruyere
2 c. breadcrumbs, plain or garlic, homemade or store-bought

(I use macaroni, omit the broccoli, whole raw cows milk, unbleached all purpose flour, Hungarian sweet paprika, a creamy cheddar cheese (sharp would taste good, but definitely needs the creaminess of a mild cheddar...maybe 3/4 mild and 1/4 sharp), and store-bought Italian bread crumbs...there is a recipe in this book for homemade that I plan on getting around to trying.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat on the stove. Add pasta and cook for half the time specified on the package. Add broccoli, if using, and cook both an additional 2 minutes. Drain & rinse in cold water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9X13 baking pan with butter.

Bring milk just to a boil in a medium saucepan and set aside. Meanwhile melt the butter in another saucepan, add flour and whisk over low heat just until the mixture turns golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk to the flour mixture and whisk well. Add the paprika and dry mustard, continuing to whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the pasta & broccoli into the baking dish, pour the cream mixture over the pasta and toss to coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese on top, then all of the breadcrumbs, then the remaining cheese. Finish with a little extra paprika and some salt & pepper.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden and starting to bubble, then put it under the broiler for a few more minutes, until it puffs up and turns an even darker golden. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 min. before serving.

This can also be stored in the freezer, whole & unbaked, wrapped in aluminum foil (thaw in the fridge before baking). Also stored baked in the pan, wrapped in aluminum foil, or in individual portions in freezer-safe containers for 4 months. Thaw & warm in a microwave.

It looks as good as it tastes!