Baked Macaroni and Cheese

OK, so I'll have to admit, I'm not a fan of baked macaroni and cheese.  I'll take the stove-top version over baked any day, well almost any day... when it comes to this recipe my heart is truly torn.  The crispy, buttery, garlicky topping spread over a super gooey cheese center. I think this really hits what I like to call Cheese Utopia.  When I made this recipe last night, my dear husband not only cleared his plateful, but went back for more, and then I think more after that as well. (I'm just glad I doubled the recipe for the 4th's festivities!) My poor friend Jessica was left with only one serving by the time I brought some to her at her house.

In this recipe, I use a few fancy cheeses from my local wine and cheese shop that I love so much, but I've tried it with just a few less expensive cheeses from the local supermarket and it tasted just fine. Not as tasty as the original of course, but simply delicious in it's own way.  When picking out cheeses, I recommend finding at least 3 good melting cheeses that you enjoy, because if you don't like it, what's the point?

Who could deny themselves some of this cheesy deliciousness?

Ingredients:

For the pasta:
3 different cheeses of your choice, (make sure there is at least one cheddar for flavor) 1/4 pound of each cheese, grated
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups sour cream or Greek yogurt, which works equally as well with a lot less fat!
2 eggs
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
Approx 3 cups uncooked elbow noodles

For the topping:
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t garlic salt
1 cup panko style breadcrumbs
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses.  In a separate bowl, mix the cream, sour cream, eggs, and pepper until just combined.
Bring a pot of at least 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add about 1 tablespoon of salt.  Add uncooked pasta and cook until just done, about 2 minutes before al'dente.   Drain the pasta, and while it is still hot, pour noodles over the cheeses and mix well.  Add the cream mixture to the pasta and transfer to baking dish.
To make the topping: melt the butter and combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the pasta generously.  Bake uncovered in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.