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Cayenne Macaroni and Cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt 6 tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes (flour mixture must foam as it cooks, or sauce will have a raw-flour taste). Stir in cayenne and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Whisk in hot milk, 1/4 cup at a time, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups of cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
Combine cheese sauce and cooked macaroni in a large bowl and season with salt.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the bottom of a buttered 8" X 11" baking dish. Put one-third of the pasta in the dish, top with 1/2 cup cheese, then repeat, layering pasta and cheese, ending with cheese, making three layers in all.
Pour cream over assembled macaroni and cheese. Melt remaining 2 tbsp. butter in a skillet. Add bread crumbs and stir to coat well with melted butter, then sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
Bake until crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.