Easter Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is best made a day or two before serving so it has time to set.

On day 1:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove top. Add egg noodles and cook until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Line a large casserole dish with aluminum foil. I use a 2-1/2 quart French White casserole dish. A small roaster works as well. Add enough egg noodles to loosely fill the casserole dish almost to the top. You may be able to fit all the egg noodles, but my casserole dish fit only 1-1/2 packages.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, whipping cream, milk, salt, and dry mustard. Pour the entire mixture over the egg noodles. Add the old cheddar cheese cubes to the casserole dish and stir gently so some of the cheese gets incorporated throughout, as well as to the bottom of the dish. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil before baking.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, removing the lid for the last 20 minutes of baking. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

On day 2:
Remove the macaroni and cheese from the casserole dish by grabbing the edges of the aluminum foil and pulling the entire casserole out. Peel the aluminum foil from the bottom and sides and use a sharp knife to slice 1″ thick pieces. Cut each slice into pieces that are about 3″ long.

Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add slices of macaroni and cheese to the frying pan and cook until lightly browned on each side and heated through. Lightly salt to taste.