Vermont Mac and Cheese

Hello everyone!  I'm Elle from Elle's New England Kitchen.   My entry for Danny's Mac and Cheese cook-off is Vermont Mac and Cheese.  It may not seem gourmet, especially with my choice of cheeses, but it's so creamy and satisfying.  And most importantly, kids like it.  There's no extra stuff like special ham, mushrooms, bacon (though that would be great crumbled over this) or lobster, but I wasn't going to make a whole pan of mac and cheese that only my husband and I would eat, lol.  And besides, a recipe doesn't have to be complicated and expensive to be amazingly good. My mac and cheese is based on a recipe from my friend, Jen.  The secret to her creamy mac and cheese is...Velveeta.  Yes, really!  I've made so many recipes for M & C that bake up dry and crumbly, or the cheese separates and is oily.  Not in this one!  It's all creamy goodness.  I replaced half of the Velveeta with Vermont Cheddar Cheese straight from The Vermont Country Store.  It's so creamy it nearly melts in your mouth.   And the panko topping makes a crunchy crust that's perfect.  So let's get to the recipe! Vermont Mac and Cheese 16 ounces elbow macaroni (cooked) 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup flour 3 1/4 cups milk 1/4 cup white wine 1/2 lb cheese, Velveeta cut into cubes 1/2 lb Vermont Cheddar panko breadcrumbs Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pan, melt the butter along with the salt, pepper and flour and stir until smooth. Remove from heat add milk and wine, then return to heat and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute while whisking. Remove from the heat and add both cheeses, and stir until melted. Pour over elbows, mix well, and pour into very lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with panko and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. This was a lot of fun--thanks, Danny, for putting this together!