Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese(about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Heat oven to 375°. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold

running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Another good looking mac & cheese recipe. I really like to add jalapenos to my mac & cheese too. Love the spice!

I am with you but if I put in jalapenos my wife won’t eat it, so I just add them later on my serving.

Yup, my wife is the same way. Ketchup is too spicy for her. :slight_smile: So, I have to add the heat to my individual meals.

It is a shame they don’t know what they are missing. I love it when a dish bites at you a bit.

Some people just cannot tolerate spicy foods at all, some a little and some can’t get food spicy enough.

I agree with you 100%. When I was young I hated hot stuff. Then then I saw people enjoying it I decided there must be something going on. So I started going at the hot stuff a bite at a time (like you eat an elephant). Your taste buds must be subjected to the hot and spicy stuff. Once you have done it enough your tongue is seasoned, and you are in for a treat. Happy eating!