Macaroni and cheese on a bechamel base

Heat the melted butter in a pan, whisk in the flour (equal parts by weight) to the consistency of movable wet sand.

Stir and cook the roux about four or five minutes, until the bubbles slow and it smells of toast, stopping at the white roux stage; set aside.

Heat about an ounce of vegetable oil, sweat the minced white onion, then add the minced garlic briefly.

Add the warmed whole milk and bring to a simmer.

Whisk in nearly all the roux at once and let it come back to a simmer; do not let it boil or the fat and milk separate.

Simmer 20 to 30 minutes to cook out the starch.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper before the cheese goes in.

Melt in the gruyere, then the cheddar, then the cream cheese, one at a time.

Fold in the cooked shells and taste for seasoning.

For the gratin, mix melted butter into the panko with pecorino romano, roll out thin, freeze, and cut into rounds the size of the bowls.

Fill buttered bowls with the macaroni and cheese, wipe the outside clean and top with the gratin rounds.

Broil on high about two minutes, then about 30 seconds more until browned.

Finish with a little green parsley.