Mac and Cheese

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Comforting and Elegant Dinner

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (374)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(374)

Cook Time:
--
Level:
--
Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

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)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

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.

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.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Mac & Cheese

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-6 of 6

View all 6 Pasta Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Mac and Cheese
Tawni Chesapeake, VA 11-09-2009
Flag

LOVE IT!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

WOW....my hubby is not a fan of Mac and Cheese. That was till I made this! He keeps asking when Im going to make it again!!
recipe Mac and Cheese
Patricia Lakewood, WA 11-05-2009
Flag

Best Mac and Cheese Ever...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was so very good. Love gruyere so that is why I picked this particular recipe. The perfect sauce to pasta ratio for... that great creaminess. Read more
recipe Mac and Cheese
LISA Plainview, NE 11-02-2009
Flag

Loved this Mac N' Cheese
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Wonderful comfort food. I left out tomatoes, substituted 1/2, half and half and threw in some other cheeses I needed to use... up. Next time I will add a touch of blu cheese crumbles or maybe a pinch of dried mustard too. I added Parmesan to the bread crumb topping. I will cut this recipe in half next time, for two.Read more
recipe Mac and Cheese
Jennifer Delta, BC 11-02-2009
Flag

My mouth is watering thinking about it.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is so creamy and delicious. She also has a very similar mac and cheese recipe that doesn't have tomatoes but has blue... cheese and bacon. Both are excellent. Sometimes I omit the tomatoes in this one and I always omit the blue cheese in the other one. I think it's the gruyere that really makes this my all time favorite mac and cheese. I will make the same comment as I did for the bacon mac and cheese recipe - if you've never had gruyere, don't be scared to try it, it's yummy - to me it tastes between cheddar and mozzarella. Also, be very careful with the salt. I love salt but I find it way to much!Read more
recipe Mac and Cheese
Linette Morristown, NJ 11-01-2009
Flag

Good but still on the lookout for the ultimate mac & cheese recipe
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I followed the directions but instead of using 1 quart of milk, I used 1/2 quart of milk and 1/2 quart of half & half, which... I thought made it creamier. I also used panko crumbs instead of making my own bread crumbs. I didn't add the tomatoes, which I regret leaving out. Overall, it was good but I'm still on the lookout for the ultimate mac and cheese recipe.Read more
recipe Mac and Cheese
Dale Taunton, MA 10-28-2009
Flag

made this twice changed it up a bit
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The tomatoes make this! The first time I followed the recipe and it was good. But I thought by changing it up a bit it... could be great. I added a half teaspoon of dried mustard and about a 1/3 of a cup of sour cream. I also used the juice of a can of stewed tomatoes in the milk and used the tomatoes on top. I also toasted my own bread crumbs and added extra cheese on top. I was Good! But still not great. I would make it again but I am on a search for a great mac and cheese. This just is't quite it. Read more