Speaking of beer and cheese

I had this crazy idea that you could somehow combine two delicious flavors into one tasty creation so I've come up with a recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Porter. My basis for this recipe is that the combination of the tangy, creamy cheddar cheese flavor would pair nicely with the carmely, nutty flavor of the porter. I have to be completely honest, I have not made this yet... I will tomorrow. If you by chance have an opportunity to make this recipe before I do, then please let meow how it turns out. Like I said though, I am going to make it tomorrow, so I will let you know how it turns out.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
2 cups milk
1 cup of Porter
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, porter, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

I've got to tell you I think it is going to turn out awesome, but there is only one way to find out.

The only way to figure out how something is truly going to end up is to try it, if it works great, if not, then re-group, figure out what went wrong and try again.

On a side note, I am bottling my first beer in the morning. I am ridiculously excited about trying my first batch, just about 10 days left.

Well I hope the recipe works out for everyone, I'll let you know how mine worked out.

Enjoy!