Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Crumb Topping

This dish is from the Williams-Sonoma American cookbook.

I have always had problems making a roux.  I'm not sure what I have been doing wrong but this time it actually worked!  One of the reasons I think it worked this time was that I used whole milk.  Apparently a roux needs the higher fat content to cook properly?  Or at least I don't know how to adjust for using lower fat milk, but I have heard chefs say you should use whole milk for dishes like macaroni and cheese.  Another reason I think it worked is that I heated the milk to simmering before I added it to the butter/flour mixture.

The mix of extra sharp cheddar cheese and monterey jack was perfect.  The crumb topping added just right amount of crunch.  Would I make it again? Definitely!  The only thing I would do differently is add a little more hot sauce, I think I was too cautious and we could hardly taste it.  Next time I might try the recipe variation which adds mushrooms to the dish.  Yummy!

This dish receives 2 thumbs up.  Now I must go finish my glass of wine...