Thomas Jefferson Macaroni and Cheese

So... I might have to consider changing the name of my blog as I found an almost perfect Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  I give it the "almost" rating as I don't know if there is the "perfect" macaroni and cheese out there.  This one was definitely the best one I have made and I would rate it at a 9.5/10.  Very good!  And I owe it all to my co-worker Chris (who suggested looking up this recipe) and the people at Foodwishes.com.  Check out their video:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/02/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-cheesy.html

It was amazing.  What was most revolutionary (get it, revolutionary?) was the idea of using less pasta!  One big problem that I have had with Macaroni and Cheese recipes is that they never ever seem to be cheesy enough for me.  So, what does the person in this video suggest but using less pasta!  AMAZING!  The crust on this is really something to die for.  I suggest you go out and try it yourself!  Of course, using less pasta means less macaroni and cheese to eat, but it is a worthy trade off.  And what, you may ask, does Macaroni and Cheese have to do with our founding father, Thomas Jefferson?  Well, he was the one who invented it, according to historical legend.  I thank him to this day! 

Side note: FYI, I used about 8 oz of pasta (I eyeballed it) and probably more than the 3 cups recommended cheese (Tilamook sharp cheddar [always delicious!]).  It was ooey, gooey, cheesy and had a great crust!  I definitely know panko is the best for topping but I really liked the cheese part of it as well!

Before it went in the oven- you can see the beginnings of an amazing crust

Fresh out of the oven

My dinner plate.  Yum!