Make Ahead Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Okay, okay.  Here it is.  Mind you, I'm omitting the explanations for things like why heavy cream, why under cooking pasta, why the mixture will look really soupy when you pour it into the casseroles, etc.  The recipe is from Cook's Country Magazine, which is awesome, by the way...especially when you get a free copy of it in the mail.

4 slices of hearty white sandwich bread torn into pieces
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
8 T unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 lb elbow macaroni
6 T flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c heavy cream
4 c shredded colby cheese
2 c shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1.  Process topping.  Pulse bread, parmesan, garlic, and 2 T butter in food processor until coarsely ground.  divide mixture between 2 zip-lock freezer bags

2.  Cook Pasta.  Bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat.  Add 1 T salt and macaroni and cook until barely softened (about 3 minutes).  Drain pasta and then spread out on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.

3.  Make Sauce.  Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard, cayenne in empty pot over med-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes (it took me a lot longer, but maybe because I was tripling this or whatever).  Off heat, whisk in colby, cheddar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper until smooth.

4.  Freeze.  Stir cooled pasta into sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined.  Divide pasta mixture between 2 8-inch square baking dishes.  Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  Wrap dishes tightly with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.

5.  Bake.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove foil from casserole and reserve.  Microwave casserole until mixture is thawed and beginning to bubble around edges, 7 to 12 minutes (this took a bit longer for me), stirring and replacing plastic halfway through cooking.  Discard plastic and cover pan with reserved foil.  Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle with 1 bag frozen bread crumbs.  Continue to bake until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Serve.