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Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the casserole
- 6 clices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
- 5 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for water
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2 cups ( about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
Details
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small sacepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour melted butter into the bowl with the bread; toss. Set the bread crumbs aside.
2. Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Melt remaiing butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, add hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg ,peppers , 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.
5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bing to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold runing water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Gruyere (or Pecorino) and bread crumbs over top. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
7. Transfer dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serves 12.
8. For lots of crust, bake Mac & cheese in a broad, shallow casserole dish. You can easily divide this recipe in half; if you do, use a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
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