crispy gooey mac n' cheese!

the other day i was jonesing for some homemade mac n' cheese but was feelin' too lazy to cook dinner.

the next day when i came home between jobs, i was pleasantly surprised by the aroma of melting cheese. what followed was a delicious lunch of ooey-gooey-on-the-inside crispy-crunchy-on-the-top penne and cheese.


josh's original recipe

3 cups milk
12 oz cheddar
5 oz gruyere
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt + extra for boiling water
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
breadcrumbs
12 oz penne

Warm milk in a saucepan. Boil water (and salt) for the noodles. Prepare a 9x9 pyrex baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a saute pan. When bubbling, add flour slowly while whisking. Slowly whisk in warmed milk. Let the mixture heat until bubbles form and sauce thickens. Whisk occasionally.

While mixture is thickening, start to cook the noodles.

After sauce thickens, turn off the heat and add the mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper and salt. Add the cheeses in small handfuls while stirring. Once fully integrated, set aside.

When noodles are done cooking, drain and add them to the cheese sauce. Stir and let the cheese seep into the noodles. Pour cheese mixture and noodles into the baking dish. Add a thin layer of breadcrumbs to the top of the dish. (Optionally, you can brush the breadcrumbs with melted butter for a more golden look).

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat and enjoy!