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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.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12

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 minute
    Slowly 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.
Keyword cheese, macaroni, bread crumbs