Kristen's Macaroni & Cheese
Lauren
Every Valentine’s Day we share this delicious dish and a bottle of wine. It’s really bad for you, but so tasty. Enjoy!
ingredients
- 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
- 8 slices of white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4 or 1/2 inch cubes
- 5 1/2 cups of skim milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the water
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
- Freshly grated Locatelli cheese (or your favorite grated cheese) to sprinkle on top
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
directions
- 1
Preheat oven to 375o. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
- 2
Place bread in a medium bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour melted butter into the bowl with the bread and toss. Set bread cubes aside.
- 3
Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
- 4
Melt remaining butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add flour. Cook by stirring for 1 minute.
- 5
While whisking, add hot milk a little at a time to flour/butter mixture to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens, about 8-12 minutes.
- 6
Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, 3 cups of chedder cheese, and 1.5 cups of Gruyere. Set cheese sauce aside.
- 7
Bring a large, covered pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked, but the inside is underdone (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
- 8
Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar & Gruyere cheese on top, along with some freshly grated Locatelli cheese. Sprinkle bread cubes evenly on top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- 9
Transfer to a wire rack for 5 minutes.
This recipe makes a large dish of mac & cheese, so we halve the recipe when enjoying it as a romantic dinner for two. You will still have PLENTY of leftovers for the next few days. We also like a good kick to our mac & cheese, so I use 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, but you can also reduce the amount of cayenne if you find it to be too much. Enjoy!
Source: Kristen Sonnek-Schmelz, Groom's sister
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