Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Heavenly Macaroni & Cheese

mac&cheese


This might be one of my favorite dishes! Delectable down to the last bite. A dish I crave all the time and only treat myself to it every once in a while. An alternative to this recipe is to cut this recipe in half and serve in small ramekins, for a lighter yet heavenly treat!


Ingredients

Serves 12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn 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, I use Tillamook)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 pound Cellentani pasta

Directions

Heat oven to 400˙ degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere, 1 cup Pecorino Romano, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. Transfer pasta to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir pasta into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.


• This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart, with just a few of my own tweaks.

Enjoy!

Photobucket

6 comments:

  1. Yummmm... It looks so rich and creamy! Keep 'em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ramekin is one of my favorite words. I want to start a collection some day. I love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. oooooooooooh my goodness this looks heavenly Laura!!! You make every dish look beautiful AND mouthwatering!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks heavenly! Oh my! Mouth is watering! :) Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my kids love macaroni and cheese... Looks so yummy I'm going to have to try it! (And I'm not even a mac'n'cheese fan.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is almost identical to my recipe! I add a pinch of powdered mustard for kick, and use whole Wheat bread for the topping and soy milk in place of the regular, but other than that it's almost the same!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your feedback!