Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni & Cheese
This was served with love by some wonderful people to whom we are grateful that they shared--the recipe and the finished product.
Equipment
- casserole dish
- sauce pan
- whisks and spoons
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 6 slices white bread, crusts removed torn into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
- 1 stick butter, unsalted
- 5 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 18 ounces)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated (about 8 ounces) or 5 ounces grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 3 qt casserole dish and set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl.In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Pour the melted butter over the bread pieces and toss to coat. Set them aside.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk.Melt the remaining butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minuteSlowly pour the hot milk into the flour-butter mixture while whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the 3 cups of the cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano, if using) and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare the macaroni according to the package instructions EXCEPT cook them 2-3 minutes short of done. Strain the macaroni through a colander and rinse under cold water, running water. Drain well.
- Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce mixture. Pour all that into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top. Scatter the buttered bread crumbs over the top.
- Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer the casserole dish to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Serve and enjoy.