This is hands down the best macaroni and cheese you will ever make. I made a double batch one plain and one with crab. It is laborious and takes a little longer than you think to make but it is well worth the effort.
I suggest reading the recipe through a few times to see if you can cut some corners. And you need a little muscle for grating all that cheese, so I enlisted my husband.
I made the mac and cheese for Fabienne’s Oscar Pot Luck this year. This year the theme was southern food. Fabienne had been dying to to make fried chicken. Despite some suggestions that it was too many people – she went for it. The chicken didn’t come out so well : ) Needless to say there are no pictures of fried chicken in this post!
Rendering the pancetta well prevents the mac & cheese from becoming oily.
The jagged edges of hand torn croutons make for a nicer crunch than knife cut.
This mac and cheese is so creamy and delicious and the toasted croutons on top send it over the edge! Would go perfectly with a nice crisp salad. I’m thinking about making it again this weekend.
Fabienne’s Oscar Party was featured on Take Two on KPCC several years ago. Check out the story.
Macaroni and Cheese
serves 12
prep time 1 hour
Ingredients
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound rigatoni
* Variation
1lb crab meat
4 oz diced pancetta
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
* If adding crab and pancetta, sauté the pancetta until crispy, then add crab and pancetta to the cheese sauce.
4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add past; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the pasta to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir rigatoni into the reserved cheese sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.
Notes
Adapted from Martha Stewart
