Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (see Note)
- 1 quart milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon grated 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.
Note: To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Put the tomatoes and bread crumbs on top and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.



















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By annasirju1_12315458
ventura, 43
on February 06, 2012
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To die for! Been trying lots of different Mac n Cheese recipes in the past and so far this is the best one! I didn't have gruyere so I used parmesan instead and it was still soo good. Thanks Ina!
By jamestown3
Southeast Virginia
on December 31, 2011
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Awesome! Since I do not care for a really cheddary mac & cheese, I went with this recipe. Gruyere is somewhat expensive, so I ended supplementing with swiss (2:1 Gruyere to swiss ratio, with great results. I never would have thought to add tomatoes to mac & cheese, but it ended up as a nice touch for both taste and presentation. I highly recommend this dish!
By mwilkinson_2009413
Columbus, OH
on December 30, 2011
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Surprised that anyone had a negative review! I omit the tomatoes and do everything else and people rave about it whenever I serve it. Fabulous!!!
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