Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Taking a page from the CityMama playbook, I'm posting a recipe today.  We went to some friends' home for Thanksgiving, and this is what I made, a recipe I adapted from The Barefoot Contessa (she puts tomatoes on top, but I passed on that) and a basic recipe I learned 20 years ago.

Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound rotini pasta (you can use elbow macaroni or others)
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided into 6 + 2
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
10 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
4 ounces Emmethaler cheese, grated (1 cup)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minute and drain.

While the pasta cooks, Make a white roux.  First, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but be sure it doesn't boil.  Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart or so) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, continuously stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Emmenthaler, and cheddar, seasoned salt, pepper, and nutmeg. It will be lumpy.  Add the cooked macaroni and stir. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Melt the remaining butter, combine it with the fresh bread crumbs and the parmesan, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs on top are browned.

**You can use other cheeses if you prefer, but we like the nutty flavor of Emmethaler Swiss and pungency of Gruyere.  Plain old cheddar does just fine.

I learned how to make Mac & Cheese from my friend Julia's mom about 20 years ago.  I was a failure at Home Economics in high school.  During college, Julia and I went to her parents' home in New Jersey and Julia's mom unlocked the secrets of the basic white sauce/roux to me (don't cook it too high or too long and stir, stir, stir).  I am forever in her debt.

Maybe someday I'll share with you my Granny's recipe for Chicken & Dumplings.  That's the thing I miss most about being away from my family on Thanksgiving.  Maybe I'll make that this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!