So this is my version of mac & cheese, adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of Martha Stewart’s. Which isn’t confusing at all. I’ve reduced the quantity (the original recipe serves an army, while this serves 4-6 people) and changed up the cheeses because, while I love Gruyère, it’s expensive. So think of this as budget-friendly mac & cheese. But don’t worry - it’s still creamy, cheesy, crunchy on top and should probably only be eaten once every few months. Also, it’s highly possible that your boyfriend will eat bowl after bowl of it and yet never gain a pound, but that’s another post for another day.
Ingredients:
5-6 tablespoons butter
3 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 oz. bag of shredded Italian blend cheese
8 oz. brick of sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound cavatappi
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray (or just butter the thing) and set aside.
Tear the white bread into large chunks and add to food processor. Pulse on high until the bread becomes coarse bread crumbs. (Pro tip: I didn’t have any white bread on hand, so I used a ciabatta roll - it worked perfectly.) Transfer breadcrumbs to medium-sized bowl.
Microwave 2-3 tablespoons of butter for about 30 seconds or until melted. Pour the melted butter over the breadcrumbs and toss with a fork. Set aside.
You can warm the milk in the microwave or in a small saucepan (either way works fine, so it’s up to you what kind of dishes you want to dirty). If you opt for a saucepan, warm the milk on medium heat. If you opt for the microwave, heat in a glass bowl at 30 second increments, stirring well in between.
Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. This will be for the pasta, but while the water is heating up, you might as well get started on the sauce.
In a high-sided skillet or dutch oven, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute, until the roux becomes a nice caramel color.
Keep whisking and slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep the mixture smooth. (Now we’re making a bechamel. Feel fancy yet?) Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, about 8 to 12 minutes. It will feel like an eternity. Have a glass of wine handy.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 of the cheeses. Stir until the cheeses have melted into the sauce, remove from heat and set aside.
At this point, the water for the pasta should have reached a boil. Add the cavatappi and cook for about 6 minutes. You don’t want it to be completely done because it’s going to continue to cook in the sauce while baking.
Transfer the pasta to a colander in the sink and drain well. Once drained, add the cavatappi to the reserved cheese sauce. Start with half and keep adding it until you have the right balance of cheese and pasta (usually this is about 3/4 of the pasta to all of the sauce). I know - this recipe doesn’t use the whole pound of cavatappi. Deal with it.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 of the cheeses and the breadcrumbs on top.
Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6.
