Mac and Cheese...Crust or no crust

I saw the Crusty Mac and Cheese recipe in the NYT, copied and saved it.  See below.  Kept seeing it on the Most Emailed article list.  Guess Slate.com saw it too

http://www.slate.com/id/2134290/?nav=tap3.

Doubt I'll make it.  There's a place in Chicago called HUE (Hilary's Urban Eatery) that has the MOST decadent mac and cheese.  So good.  Even if I'm not a regular eater of this stuff...My first experience with mac and cheese was 2 yrs after college when I was hanging out with Tollwaywarrior.  We threw in a frozen pack of spinach with the Kraft mac and cheese...otherwise I wouldn't touch the dish.  Not bad tasting but not a good thing to eat on a regular basis.

Recipe: Crusty Macaroni and Cheese

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Published: January 4, 2006

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Forum: Cooking and Recipes

3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1 pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt
2/3 cup whole milk.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings.