Ashley's Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I want to make no bones about this dish, this is not my recipe as if the title wasn't clear enough. I was given this recipe by Ashley and told to make it. So I did. I know my place.

Recently, Mike and I were having a conversation about macaroni and cheese and how difficult it actually is to make because there are so many permutations and it is one of those comfort foods where you like it your way and that's it.

Period.

End of story.

Something could be cooked by the ten best chefs in the world and it wont be like Grandma's Mac & Cheese. With that caveat in mind, the recipe below is a baked macaroni and cheese, highlighting Sharp Cheddar and Gruyère, with a small kick to give it some attitude.

Process

As with most comfort foods, real macaroni and cheese (none of this Easy Mac stuff you eat in college because you're poor) is actually quite simple. This recipe came about when Ashley and I were trying to figure out something to eat that could last a few days and sustain us. We both work some crazy hours and cannot always find the time to cook and so making something last is important. Ashley came up with the idea of macaroni and cheese. It's good, filling, and would last.

Up until that point, my macaroni and cheese cooking experience only required a pouch, some water and a microwave so I was kind of in the dark on this one...enter Ashley's Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe.

First off you want to heat the oven up to 400°F and then prep a baking dish (9x13 in). Because no one likes doing dishes, I highly recommend getting some throw-away disposable Al foil containers. When you're done with the food, you toss it. None of this scrapping baked cheese from a glass Pyrex dish.

As the oven is heating up, you will want to cook your pasta. That should be easy enough: boil water, put in pasta, wait until tender. If you need help, follow the directions on the back of your pasta box. I do recommend cooking slightly al dente as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven later. Additionally, you'll want to take this time to grate the cheese. This is one of my favorite times because I get to snack on the cheese as I grate it. 

Once that is finished you can begin with the cheesy goodness. Melt the butter over medium heat and then add in the flour. For about 2-3 minutes, cook the flour but do not let it darked. Slowly add in the milk, 1 cup at a time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Depending on how you like your consistency of your cheese depends on this step. If you like very "liquidy" mac and cheese, don't let it thicken much. If you like super creamy then keep that sauce on there until it is thick.

Now is time for the cheese. I didn't mention this before, but I love Sharp Cheddar so that was going to be one of the cheeses. The Gruyère came at a suggestion of a coworker as a good "mac and cheese" cheese so I thought, why not? The Gruyère is very good as it is not over-powering but has some rich flavor and compliments the Cheddar well. Slowly add the cheese in so that it melts evenly rather than just dumping the whole thing in there. Let it melt and stir, stir, stir. Add the salt to taste (I didn't put too much in as I didn't think it needed it) and cayenne. The amount shown below is enough to give the dish a kick, but if you really like some flavor, feel free to double it for some added spice.

Once the pasta and cheese are well mixed, transfer the gooey mixture to the pan and top off with bread crumbs. I have made this with several types but so far Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs work out really nicely. Pop it into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheesy is bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden.

Ashley's Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

5 T butter
1 lbs elbow macaroni
1/2 cup flour
6 cups milk (I used 1% but if you want a creamier sauce, use whole)
2 cups Gruyère (grated)
11/2 cups Cheddar (grated)
1/4 tsp cayenne (more if you like a bigger kick)
pinch of Kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish (I used a Al foil pan for ease of cleanup).
2. Cook the pasta according to the package. I recommend going slightly al dente as the pasta will continue to tender up during the baking bit.
3. Melt butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes (stirring to prevent the flour from burning). Slowly add the milk until the sauce thickens, about 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the Gruyère, Cheddar, cayenne and salt, constantly stirring until the cheese melts. Mix in the pasta and transfer to prepared baking dish.
5. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and the cheesy is bubbly.