Ingredients:

  • 250g elbow macaroni
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 45g unsalted butter
  • 30g all-purpose flour
  • 480ml whole milk
  • 225g sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 115g Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika
  • 50g Panko breadcrumbs
  • 15g melted butter
  • 30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin generously with butter.
  2. Boil a large pot of water and add 1 tbsp sea salt. Drop in the 250g elbow macaroni and cook for exactly two minutes less than the package instructions. You want it to have a firm bite because it will continue to soften as it bathes in the cheese sauce inside the oven. Drain it well and set it aside, but don't rinse it; that surface starch helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
  3. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 45g butter over medium heat. Once it starts to foam, whisk in 30g all purpose flour. Cook this for about 60 seconds until it smells slightly nutty and looks like wet sand.
  4. Slowly pour in the 480ml whole milk, whisking constantly. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This is the foundation of your velvety sauce.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the 0.5 tsp garlic powder and 0.25 tsp smoked paprika. Gradually add the 225g sharp white cheddar and 115g Gruyère, stirring until the sauce is silky and glossy.
  6. Fold in the cooked macaroni.
  7. In a small bowl, mix 50g Panko, 15g melted butter, and 30g Parmesan.
  8. Scoop the mixture into your greased muffin tin. Sprinkle this over each cup.
  9. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes until the tops are deeply bronzed and the edges are bubbling. Let them rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.