Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- Kosher salt
- 1 quart (4 cups) whole milk
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (2 cups) OR pecorino Romano
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 slices white bread, crusts removed
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 3-quart baking dish or individual gratin dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
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Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, warm the milk. In a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the hot milk and cook for about 2 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and add in the cheeses, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, mustard, and paprika. Add in the pasta and stir well to combine. Pour into prepared baking dish.
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Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Make the fresh breadcrumbs by placing the white bread in a food processor and pulsing until ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs over the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbling and browned.
You can never go wrong with mac ‘n cheese EVER….and this truly does look like the ultimate…from the creamy sauce to the crunchy topping! Pinned! 🙂
Yum 🙂 mac ‘n cheese is awesome!
This looks fantastic! Would it be good as leftovers? Everytime I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch it gets greasy and clumpy overnight and just doesn’t reheat well. I want to make this but might half the recipe if I can’t figure out how to reheat the extra for lunch the next day.
I think mac and cheese might be my most favorite food ever.
My favorite kind of comfort food!
Oh Tessa this is dreamy!!
this recipe list 1 tablespoon of salt in the body of the recipe but not in the listed ingredients (except for kosher salt) I didn’t see this discrepancy (or maybe it isn’t a discrepency) but one tablespoon of salt in the cheese mixture was way too salty for me. I wound up adding two additional cups of milk and more cheese and more flour to counterbalance that tablespoon of salt. This made it just right. I had extra sauce so the next day when I heated up the mac and cheese I was able to use this extra sauce to make the dish nice and creamy.
I just made this tonight, and Tessa, you never disappoint! It did dirty a few dishes, but I’m just a mess when I’m making something for the first time. I subbed an Italian white cheese blend for the Gruyere and I can’t begin to explain how right you were about not skimping on the cheese: I will not be making that substitution again! Overall, a great dish that satisfied even the pickiest eaters in my family, I even added onions. Thank you!
NOM! Made this a few weeks ago–absolutely delish and flavors perfectly balanced. Really loved it and making it again tonight–can’t wait to get home, num num num 😀 Thanks Tessa!
This Mac and Cheese was a hit!!!!! I now have to bring it to all family functions. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Great Recipe! Just a couple of thoughts about reducing the number of utensils to wash up afterwards:
First, sift together the flour, salt, pepper, mustard & paprika onto a paper plate.
Pulse the bread to crumbs. After you have cooked and drained you macaroni, use the same large pot to melt ALL the butter, then spoon out one quarter [2 Tbs] into the breadcrumbs and pulse again.
Return the large pot to the heat to continue making the sauce to the point where you remove it from the heat.
The paper plate can then be re-used to hold the grated cheeses, as soon as you have the required amount you can add it to your sauce.
Apart from the serving dish/es, you then only need to wash up one pot, the grater and perhaps a measuring jug.
Outstanding Mac & Cheese ! Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect!
John, your idea is great BUT, you have to use at least two pots! You left out the warming of the milk in another pot! Two is better than three! Thanks for the tip!
Tessa, this Mac & Cheese is a HUGE hit at my house! I cannot get out of making it now, no more boxed for this household.
Sandy
Could I use salted butter so I could leave out the Salt? I think it would be about an even swap.