Mac & the 3 Cheeses
The first time I had mac and cheese, we had just moved to America. Even during that time (20000 mac and cheese was the bees knees. One day my mom decided to buy it and try it. If you know my mom, you know she has always been a believer of making things fresh and using fresh ingredients. The fact that she bought something that converts yummy cheese to a cheese powder, is a miracle. Not surprisingly, we only had it once and never again 😄. In my adult life, I have tried numerous mac and cheese recipes and I have officially found a favorite! Both my husband and I love cheese. Among our favorite cheeses are gruyere and manchego. Although the recipe I used different kinds of cheeses, I used the same measurements and baked it in a cast iron (why have mac and cheese any other way!).
The ingredients below for the cheeses are my version. I think it is worth trying if you like a bit of a sharper flavor of cheeses (in a good way)!
Ingredients:
Coarse salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 to 5 tablespoons (2 to 2 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
A pinch to 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1.5 cups shredded gruyere
1.5 cups shredded manchego
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup coarse fresh or dried bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Salt a large pot of water generously, so it tastes like the sea. Bring the water to a boil and then add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Still whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the milk. If the sauce gets lumpy, don’t worry; just keep whisking until it becomes smooth again. Lower the heat and simmer (yes, still whisking frequently!) until creamy and smooth, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and the mustard and/or nutmeg, if using. Take the pan off the heat and add 2 1/2 cups Cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more seasonings, if you like.
Drain the macaroni and return it to the pot. Dump the sauce on top of the macaroni and toss thoroughly to coat. Turn out the macaroni mixture into a large cast-iron skillet, a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or another generously sized casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan.
One last thing. Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet. (Use 2 tablespoons for uber-buttery bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon for swimsuit-season bread crumbs.) Drizzle the butter over the bread crumbs in a bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the macaroni. (I used 3 tbsp because why not do it right 😉)
Bake until the crumbs are browned and the macaroni is warmed through, 20 minutes if you’re in a hurry or, if you’re in no rush and prefer a creamier sauce, up to an hour or so. You will need to cover the dish after 15 minutes or so to prevent the crumbs from browning too much.
Let the macaroni and cheese rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping it out in heaping portions.
