It is in my opinion pretty easy to put together. I will list her recipe and then any changes I made. I really didn't make many. The changes were small and not really important to the end result flavor wise.
This makes a 9x13 pan of mac and cheese.
6 slices of bread, crust removed, and torn into 1/4" pieces. (I USED PANKO BREAD CRUMBS THE SECOND TIME AND LIKED IT MUCH BETTER. I just measured the amount I thought looked good for the top and tossed with the melted butter. )
8 Tbl. butter, plus more to grease the pan (I used cooking spray for the pan)
5 1/2 Cups whole milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt + salt for pasta water
1/4 tsp. pepper (I used at least 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (I used the nutmeg nut itself and just used a micro plane grater till I liked how much it looked like in the sauce. If you use the nut you could grate it in a bowl and measure out the right amount.)
1/4 tsp. cayenne (don't skip this as I think it is an important element. It was not spicy at all. You certainly could add more if you want a little kick.)
18 oz. (about 4 1/2 cups) sharp white cheddar cheese, grated and seperated into 3 cups and 1 1/2 cups. The 1 1/2 cups is for the topping)
8 oz. (about 2 cups) shredded gruyere cheese, seperated. Put 1 1/2 cups with the 3 cups of cheddar and lightly toss. Then add the rest to the 1 1/2 cups of cheddar that is for the topping and lightly toss and set aside.) DONT MIX THEM UP! Remember which is for the topping and which is for the sauce.
1 lb. elbo macaroni (you can use any small pasta that is about the size of elbo macaroni)
heat oven 375 degrees and butter your dish.
Place bread in bowl and mix 2 Tbl. melted butter (from the 8 Tbl. the recipe calls for) toss. I used panko crumbs here and we just liked it better. Same process. Set aside.
NOTE: I start the water (salt the water) now for the pasta and try to time the pasta and sauce to be done about the same time. Nothing will be ruined if one is done before the other.
Heat milk slightly (I have a large measuring cup and I just microwaved the milk till was no longer cold)
Melt remaining 6 Tbl. butter in a large sauce pan that will hold you milk and cheese. When it bubbles add the flour and whisk and mix for about 1 minute.
slowly pour in the milk a little at a time and stir till it thickens. I did it in three additions. Stir milk/flour mix till it thickens (you arent looking for a super thick sauce now, but just thickens up. I usually let it come to a boil and stir then turn off the heat. At that point it is thick enough.)
Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and the 3 cups cheddar and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere. Stir till it is melted and test for seasoning. It should not be bland. Add salt if needed. It should have a nice rich flavor. Remember you are putting this on pasta so you don't want it under salted.
Pasta: cook pasta about 3/4 of the time it calls for. There is a lot of sauce and you want the pasta to soak it up as it bakes. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water and then drain well. Add to the sauce.
It will look like a lot of sauce and you might be tempted to not add all of it. I did this the first time and regretted it. Trust me it will bake up just fine.
Pour into prepared baking pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Then sprinkle bread crumbs over the cheese.
Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 30 min. till bubbly and lightly browned on top.
ENJOY!
