I’m sure you’ve heard that old adage “Everything old is new again.” Well, that could not be more true when it comes to food trends. Take macaroni and cheese, for example. How many variations for this homey classic have been shared over the years? Too many to count.

We grew up with a lot of one pot dinners.  Mom would cook for our family of 11 every day, and if supper on Friday was macaroni and cheese we were one happy passel of kids.

Mom made a super simple, budget friendly, cheese sauce with milk, butter, diced cheddar, salt and pepper. That was it. I still remember the silky texture and sharp cheddar flavor of the sauce.

Homemade macaroni and cheese has endured. Yes, a lot of us remember Mac & cheese going gourmet with truffle oil, lobster, pork belly, pancetta, shallots.

I’m happy to report that now we’re harkening back to Grandma’s home made Mac & cheese modernized a bit in the form of panko bread crumbs and Parmesan.

That’s the recipe I’m sharing today, a baked version of the classic. And get this: I saw the almost identical recipe in a Tappan recipe book for “electronic ovens” (microwave ovens) from the 60’s! So it’s true: everything old really is new again.

Homemade baked macaroni & cheese

Ingredients

8 oz elbow macaroni or other short pasta

8 tablespoons butter, divided into 6 and 2 tablespoon measures

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk – I used whole milk

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar – I used extra sharp cheddar

1/2 generous cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pepper

1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs or dried fresh bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package and keep warm.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat.

Gradually whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, a couple of minutes.

Gradually add milk, whisking as you go.

Gradually whisk in cheddar cheese, one cup at a time, then add Parmesan, again whisking as you go.

Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce thickens a bit, 3 minutes or so.

Stir pasta into sauce and adjust seasonings, adding pepper to taste.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, and stir in panko until coated, then sprinkle over pasta, starting at outside edges and working your way to the center.

Bake until hot and a bit bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. The top didn’t get as toasty as I like, so I ran the dish under the broiler for a minute or so.

Leftovers stored in the refrigerator may get a little dry, as the pasta will soak up the sauce. It’s still really good, though, microwaved until hot.

Tip: Make a double batch, freeze and bake later.

Add a bit of extra cheddar on top.

Don’t add panko until right before baking; otherwise it may get soggy.

Bake it straight from the freezer or refrigerate overnight.

Bake covered until hot and bubbly. It will take longer than 25 minutes.

Remove foil, then run under broiler to brown top a bit if you like.