Rich and Creamy Mac and Cheese

Grate all of the cheeses. Set aside. Mix together the cheddar and jack cheese and set aside 1/4 cup in a separate bowl.

Cook pasta until there is still a little bite (a minute or so short of the package instructions for al dente). When done, drain pasta.

Warm the milk over low heat and keep it warm. Measure out all seasonings so they are ready to be thrown into the sauce.

Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium-low heat and then add flour, stirring constantly until blended. Stir warmed milk and bay leaf into the butter mix. Stir constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat and using a whisk, stir in paprika, mustard and salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and begin to stir the large bowl of cheddar and jack cheese and the blue cheese into the sauce. Add the pan back onto low heat if the cheese isn’t melting. Once melted, remove from heat.

Sprinkle half of the reserved cheese in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour 1/3 of cooked/drained pasta into the baking pan, then pour 1/3 of the sauce over the pasta and repeat these layers twice more.

Melt remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat and add the bread crumbs. Cook until bread crumbs are toasted.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta and then sprinkle parmesan cheese over breadcrumbs.

Bake on 375F for 20 minutes.