Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

{Mini serving of mac&cheese}

I had printed out the recipe for smitten kitchen's adaptation of Martha Stewart's mac-n-cheese over a month ago. It might have been two months ago. I bought all the ingredients, but somehow I never got around to making it. Probably because the April AHS potluck never happened. And the May one kept on getting delayed. But last night it finally happened. And the day before, the mac-n-cheese finally happened.

Another excuse I have for not baking and/or cooking lately is because I got a new job! So I've been uber busy dealing with that. But this Friday we got out early because of the long weekend, so I had time to make miniature mac&cheese in addition to the large casserole dish version. The macaroni and cheese is really good. Everyone at the potluck loved it. And I think it's pretty darn good too. My only complaint is that I used too little bread, which was my fault because I was too lazy to cut more slices of the loaf I had. Tsk tsk Esther. But other than that, it was a success!

And side note, I recommend halving the recipe that smitten kitchen posted. So what I'm posting below is the halved version.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese
Makes 6 servings

1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
2 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/4 cups (about 9 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Gruyère
1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a large casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and 3/4 cups Gruyère; set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cups cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Gruyère, and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

{In the large casserole dish; I left it in the oven a little longer so it's more browned/crispy}