The time has come for me to share my love obsession of Macaroni & Cheese with the world. How I managed to have a blog for nearly a month and a half and not mention this is disheartening to my little mac & cheese loving bones. I don’t think you people understand my love for this stuff. The greatest compliment you can pay me is “I saw and/or ate mac & cheese and thought of you.”
That’s how serious it is folks.
That’s how serious it is folks.
Thankfully, the time has arrived though for me to disclose to you my all-time fav recipe.
WOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I am kinda excited.
Daphne over at Flip Flops and Pearls is hosting a recipe exchange today so I decided to jump in and surprise her readers with the best ever mac & cheese recipe..ever.
Fellow readers-you can thank me later 😉
This recipe is not an original I might warn you-I am not an original recipe kinda girl.
Steering 1 tablespoon of butter away from a recipe scares me to death.
This recipe comes Martha Stewart. Then again, what doesn’t come from Martha?
The pictures are from a wonderful blog, Smitten Kitchen. They’ve got mad skills when it comes to photographing their cooking experiences. You don’t want to see the pictures I’ve tried taking while cooking. Trust me.
I have the recipe listed with the original measurements, and also for the recipe halved (in bold).
I don’t know why you would want to do that though?
Here we go.
Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics
Serves 12 or Serves 6
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole-4 T ½ stick
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces-3 slices
5 1/2 cups milk-2 ¾ cups
1/2 cup all-purpose flour-1/4 cup
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water-1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg-Half of ¼
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper-Half of ¼
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper-Half of ¼
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese-2 ¼ cups
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese-1 cup
1 pound elbow macaroni-1/2 pound
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces-3 slices
5 1/2 cups milk-2 ¾ cups
1/2 cup all-purpose flour-1/4 cup
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water-1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg-Half of ¼
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper-Half of ¼
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper-Half of ¼
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese-2 ¼ cups
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese-1 cup
1 pound elbow macaroni-1/2 pound
1. 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 2 (1) tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 (3) tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. 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.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups (1 ½) cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 (¾ cup) Gruyère or swiss; set the cheese sauce aside.
5. 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.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ (¾) cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 (¼) cup Gruyère or swiss, and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.
If you need any taste testers please email me. I am serious.
I don’t even charge for my services.
Happy Cheesy Friday =)
Founder and creator of LIY, Erin turned her dream of a hobby blog into a full-time career which she now runs alongside the LIY team! When not in front of her computer screen [with a La Croix or wine in hand] or in front of a mirror taking mirror selfies, you can find Erin spending time on the water, cuddled up with her two pups and husband most likely watching the latest Shark Tank episode, or getting lost in an easy beach read.
