Sometimes I just want feel-good food. On Wednesday, that consisted of Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese. Mike added yummy chicken dumplings to the mix from Trader Joes, poured a bottle of wine, and we had ourselves a carb loaded feast!
The Mac and Chee was pretty good, but it was missing the bite I wanted from the gruyere. Perhaps next time I’ll eliminate the cheddar altogether and just go hog wild with the gruyere.
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Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese (thank you to Ina Gardner at Food Network)
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 1 quart milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
- 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small) – We went sans tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed) – We used regular bread crumbs from the store
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it.
- Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, 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, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
- Optional: Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
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