Martha's Mac and Cheese

Diana found this recipe and we made it this weekend - it was quite yummy! The website says that it was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. We found that it made double the amount of sauce that we needed, so we might try halving it next time.

8 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crust removed, torn into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups whole milk (we used skim and it still turned out yummy)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse salt (we used regular table salt), plus more for water
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (left out because we didn't have any - again, turned out fine)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (ours was sharp yellow cheddar)
2 cups (about 8oz) grated Gruyere cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (we used a 9x13 pan); set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 Tbs. butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

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, 10-12 minutes.

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

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

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, and the breadcrumbs on top. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

From here