Ultimate Baked Macaroni And Cheese |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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My perfected recipe for baked macaroni and cheese. I've been tweaking my recipe over the years, and I think it's just about right. The secret to the cheese sauce is steeping the spices in the milk before making the sauce. Read more . Enjoy! (The picture doesn't do the mac and cheese justice.) Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs |
9 tbsp. (1 stick plus 1 tbsp) butter, divided, plus more for pan |
5 1/2 c. whole milk |
1/2 medium onion, cut into large chunks |
2 bay leaves |
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg |
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper |
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper |
2 tsp. kosher salt |
1/2 c. flour |
3 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided |
2 c. grated monterey jack cheese, divided |
1 1/2 c. grated italian cheese blend, divided |
1 1/2 c. grated swiss cheese, divided |
1 c. grated parmigiano reggiano, divided |
16 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
2. Place bread crumbs in a small bowl. Melt 3 TBSP. of the butter; drizzle over bread crumbs. Toss well with a fork to coat crumbs evenly. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat milk, onion, bay leaves, nutmeg, black and cayenne peppers, and salt over medium heat. Stir frequently. Just as you begin to see tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan, reduce heat to low and continue heating milk for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cover; let sit at least 30 minutes.
4. While milk sits, prepare the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt well. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, removing pasta from the heat about 2 minutes before directions suggest. You are looking for the pasta to still have a little bite or chewiness to it. Drain pasta well and rinse with cool water. Rinsing removes some of the starch from the pasta and helps keep the cheese sauce from getting grainy while baking. Drain pasta well and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, toss together the cheeses: 2 c. of the sharp cheddar, 1 c. of the Monterey Jack, 3/4 c. of the Italian blend, 1 c. of the Swiss, and 1/2 c. of the Parmigiano. Set aside.
6. Using a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, pour milk through sieve to filter out the onion, bay leaf, etc. Discard solids.
7. In a large pot (use the pasta pot - less to clean) melt remaining 6 TBSP. of butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Whisk together well and cook, stirring, 1 minute (this is your roux).
8. Slowly pour the warmed and strained milk into the roux while whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
9. Remove sauce from the heat and add the cheeses you mixed in the bowl. Whisk well to blend; sauce should be smooth. Add rinsed and drained macaroni, stir well to combine.
10. Empty pot into prepared baking dish. In the bowl you used to mix the first batch of cheese, mix the remaining cheeses: 1 c. sharp Cheddar, 1 c. Monterey Jack, 3/4 c. Italian blend, 1/2 c. Swiss, and 1/2 c. Parmigiano. Toss well to combine and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese sauce.
11. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top of the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and topping is golden. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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