You’re the cheese to my macaroni!

Who didn’t love that stupid boxed macaroni and cheese as a kid? I know I did, but it got progressively worse as I got older… Even more than the boxed macaroni, I loved when my mom made home-made macaroni and cheese. After trying lots of recipes and tweaking them, I’ve come up with a couple that I really like. Tonight I made one of them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni, elbow macaroni twists, or whatever kind of pasta you like with your cheese
• 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese (or you can substitute swiss for a cheaper version)
• 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• plain or Italian style breadcrumbs (enough to sprinkle on top)
• 1.5 cups broccoli florets (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Boil a large pot of salted water for the macaroni noodles (you can add a little olive oil too to prevent stickiness)
• Cook pasta according to package directions (maybe take out a minute or two early while the pasta is still firm – it will finish cooking in the oven)
• Meanwhile, add the 2 cups of milk into a small saucepan and heat on medium-low (don’t boil!!!)
• In another large saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter
• Once the butter melts, add the 1/4 c flour and whisk
• Continue to whisk and slowly add the warm milk
• When all the milk is added, heat for a couple more minutes until the mixture is thickened and smooth
• Remove from heat and add the cheese, stirring to melt it
• Add a pinch of nutmeg, then add salt and pepper to taste, stirring into the cheese mixture
• Add the broccoli florets and the pasta to the cheese mixture and stir well to coat the pasta
• Pour the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly

Since both gruyere and sharp cheddar go well with Sauvignon Blanc, I paired that with my mac and cheese. Delicious. Happy eating!