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
2/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4/4 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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