Please be warned, this makes a ton-a mac-and-cheese, but it’s perfect for a Holiday meal and you will have enough to make smaller dishes to freeze. It is everything I love about mac n’cheese with the nutty rounded flavor of Gruyere and a good strong mature cheddar (I use grated blocks of Sharp New Zealand cheddar cheese from Trader Joes)
Serves 12
2 sticks butter, max
12 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse salt, plus more for water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp Colmans mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups (about 20 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated Gruyère
1lb elbow macaroni (use Barilla preferably, as it holds it’s shape well as it has ridges, otherwise De Cecco is a good brand)
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread and toss lightly. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but watch it, as it can boil over.
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes or sometimes eve longer.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère and 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 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.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes but your oven may vary. (we needed a bit more time to get it brown)
Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes and serve