Macaroni and Cheese
 

Our favorite macaroni and cheese recipe is the one from Martha Stewart's
Living cookbook:

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 12

You can easily divide this recipe in half: Use a one-and-a-half-quart
casserole dish.

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)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated
Pecorino Romano (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set
aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat,
melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss.
Set bread crumbs 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 or 1 cup Pecorino
Romano; 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. (Different brands of macaroni
cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer
macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.
Stir macaroni 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 bread crumbs over
top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire
rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.


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