Lynn's paradise Cafe

After a taxi ride back from a lovely BBQ lunch at mark's Feed Store our friendly driver jumped at the chance to share the culinary secret of a place recently visited by Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray. He was smiling ear to ear and shared that I should have the Hot Brown. I told him I'd eaten that dish before, a Kentucky original, when he promptly corrected me. "Oh, no...you've never REALLY had one unless you've eaten it here! Oh, man, a slice of heaven.!" For those of you who don't know what a "hot Brown" is, here goes. It's a roasted turkey breast baked on sourdough bread, with Mornay sauce, bacon, tomato, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. Mornay sauce is a gravy, I believe made from bacon drippings, sooooo very southern.

Mac n' Cheese Recipe
2 ounces butter, melted, plus extra for preparing the baking pan
1 quart evaporated milk
4 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper

1¼ lbs. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (preferably Vermont cheddar)
1 lb. dry elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

Crumb Topping:
½ cup dry sourdough breadcrumbs (or other firm-textured white bread)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 grindings of black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter a 13"x 9" pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 ounces melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, paprika, salt and white pepper. Set aside.

Make the crumb topping by mixing all the ingedients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Layer one third of the cooked elbow macaroni in the prepared pan. Cover with one third of the shredded cheddar. Repeat the layers twice more, ending with an even layer of cheese on top.

Pour the evaporated milk mixture evenly over the entire casserole. With gloved hand, press lightly on the top so the ingredients are moistened by the milk.

Bake for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Remove the foil and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temperature 5 minutes before serving

Yield: Serves 12 as a side for lunch or dinner