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Extra Cheesy Mac & Cheese
Two kinds of cheese, and plenty of it, paired with macaroni in a creamy béchamel sauce, topped with crispy breadcrumbs—this may be our all-time favorite comfort food
Servings:
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 1/2 cupsmilk
- 1/2 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
- 2teaspoonscoarsesalt, plus more for water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère
- 1 pound elbow macaron Finely chopped parsley for garnish,optional.
Preparation Instructions
- Prepare to bake—Preheat oven to 375°F .
- Make the roux—Heat the milk in a medium ceramic non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided ceramic non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, whisking continually, for 1 minute.
- Start the sauce—Continue whisking, while slowly pouring hot milk into the flour/butter mixture a little at a time to keep it smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to12 minutes.
- Finish the sauce—Remove the pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère. Set the cheese sauce aside.
- Prep the pasta—Cover a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and boil until the outside of pasta is cooked and the 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.
- Bake the mac and cheese—Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 1/2 cup Gruyère, and the breadcrumbs over the top.Bake until sauce is bubbly and breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.Transfer pan to wirerack and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley, if you’re feeling fancy.
Tips
Tip
A blend of cheeses adds incredible depth of flavor—feel free to swap sharp cheddar for medium and Gruyère for Swiss, if that’s how you roll.
Tip
Avoid mushy macaroni—pasta will continue to cook in the sauce, so if you boil it all the way to al dente, you’ve gone too far
