Muenster Cheese and Macaroni

Macaroni and cheese is an American tradition.
What could be better?
Muenster and macaroni,
with mustard and bits of gherkin pickles,
covered in fragrant caraway rye crust.

Ingredients:
4 slices caraway rye bread, crusts intact, torn into small pieces
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces (about 2 cups grated)
Muenster Cheese, grated
or sliced, at room temperature
(keep covered to prevent drying out)
1 rounded tablespoon country-style
dark mustard, preferably with seeds
1/2 cup gherkin pickles, drained and chopped
8 additional slices (about 6 ounces)
Muenster Cheese for topping ramekins

Directions:
In a blender or food processor,
pulse the rye slices into soft crumbs.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a
large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add bread crumbs and toss gently with a
spoon to coat evenly with butter.
Continue to toss crumbs and cook until
they are lightly golden, barely crunchy,
and the caraway seeds release their fragrance.
Remove from heat and reserve.
In a large pot of boiling water,
cook elbow macaroni until
just al dente (about 6 minutes).
Do not drain yet, but turn off heat
and let pasta sit in the hot water
while you prepare the cheese sauce.
In a medium saucepan,
melt remaining butter over low heat.
Sprinkle flour over butter and stir
continuously with a spoon as the mixture forms a paste.
Continue to stir and mash paste to cook the raw flour,
about 2 minutes, then incrementally add milk,
now stirring with a whisk after each addition.
The paste will be lumpy at first,
but will smooth and blend completely
as long as you stir continuously.

Once all milk is added,
stir in chili powder, salt and ground pepper.
Increase heat to medium, and continue stirring
until sauce starts to thicken, about 8 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Gradually
add 8 ounces grated Muenster Cheese,
stirring until fully melted after each addition.
The sauce will be thicker (but still fluid)
after all cheese is added,
with a slightly melted-string
consistency when you lift whisk from saucepan.
Stir in mustard and gherkins.
Turn off heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Working quickly, drain macaroni
in a large colander and rinse
under hot tap water to remove extra starch.
Drain well and return to pot.
Stir hot cheese sauce thoroughly,
then pour it over hot macaroni.
Stir with a large spoon to evenly mix.
Generously fill 1-cup capacity
oven-safe custard cups, ramekins
or miniature gratin dishes with the
macaroni and cheese mixture.
Top each serving with 1 slice Muenster Cheese,
and then sprinkle with rye crumbs.
Transfer dishes to a baking sheet,
wiping up any scattered crumbs on
sheet to avoid burning them.
Position sheet on center rack of oven.
Bake until cheese slices are melted
and crumbs are well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Carefully remove from oven;
ramekins will be very hot.
Serve immediately.