Macaroni and Cheese 101
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ to ½ inch pieces
5 ½ cups milk
½ cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt, plus more for water
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups (about 18 oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 oz) grated Gruyere or 1 ¼ cups (about 5 oz) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375
Butter a 3 quart casserole dish, set aside
Place bread in a medium bowl
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter
Pour melted butter into the bowl with the bread, toss
Set the bread crumbs aside
Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat
Melt remaining butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat
When butter bubbles, add flour, Cook, Whisking 1 minute
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
Remove pan from heat
Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 ½ cups Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano), set the cheese sauce aside
Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil
Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes
Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well
Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
Pour mixture into prepared dish
Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Gruyere (or Pecorino) and bread crumbs over top
Bake until golden
About 30 minutes
Transfer dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes
Serves 12
For lots of crust, bake Macaroni and cheese in a broad, shallow casserole dish
You can easily divide this recipe in half, if you do, use a 1 ½ quart casserole
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