My Valentine + Mac and Cheese = The best of days


(photo by the amazing Deb of smitten kitchen)

Was it just me or did Valentine’s Day feel like it spanned the entire week this year? We celebrated over dinner on Friday night to avoid the crowds and by the time the actual day arrived I was so over pink and red, hearts and doilies, chocolates and candies. So Nick and I propped ourselves in front of the TV and spent the evening watching the Olympics. We vegged out on copious amounts of delicious takeout: 1 vat of mac and cheese and a large brownie in the shape of heart (which was all they had, I swear).

It was a gift in itself to have Nick for an entire day, as I’ve been sharing him with this thing called graduate school and all of the demands that go with it. While the dish we ordered was delicious (how can cheese, noddles, and BACON not be enjoyable), I wish I would have gotten my act together to make him this recipe again.

I’ve only made this mac and cheese recipe once, because… well, I’ll let the ingredients do the explaining. This is a once a year type dish. The first time I made this it was for the perfect occasion for something sinfully delicious: a girls night in. We ate the ENTIRE thing straight out of the serving dish! The addition of paprika is my favorite twist on this traditional comfort food, it really makes the cheesy flavor pop.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese (as written by Smitten Kitchen)
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

Now, please be warned, this makes a ton-a mac-and-cheese. Not interested in going on an all-mac, all-the-time diet this week, but wishing to try the recipe at last, I halved it and guess what? We still had three dinner’s worth of mac-and-cheese, or a full six servings. Which is, of course, what the recipe said it would make if halved, but I was in denial.

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons 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 6 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, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); 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 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.