Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

By KSmitherman

Ingredients

• Serves 12, but easily halved
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more fordish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn or diced into 1/4-to 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups gratedPecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni (or other small pasta shape)

Details

Adapted from shine.yahoo.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; setaside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan overmedium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter (alternately, melt butter inthe microwave). Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Setbreadcrumbs aside. Pull out 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar, and 1/2cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and reserve.

2. Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until theoutside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Differentbrands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read theinstructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under coldrunning water, and drain well. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. In thesame pot you used for boiling the pasta, melt remaining 6tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, addflour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

4. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking,whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomesthick.

5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper,cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1cup Pecorino Romano. Stir reserved macaroni into the cheesesauce.

6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cupscheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, andbreadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes.If after 30 minutes, it's not browned to your liking, broil thetopping rather than leaving it in the oven, which may cause thepasta to overcook and sauce to dry out. Transfer dish to a wirerack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot