Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

By Adam Kuban
Updated Mar. 21, 2019

And here's the first of the week's recipes from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. It's one of my all-time favorites and, in fact, has taken up residence among a coterie of of recipes taped to the back of the cabinet door nearest my stove--though, really, I've made it so often I usually don't need to reference it anymore. If prepared as detailed below, it will serve about 12 people, but I often halve the recipe if I'm not cooking for a crowd--it will still yield more than enough creamy, rich mac and cheese. And, because she says it each time I mention this recipe, the GF says it tastes even better the next day.

Recipe Facts

4.3

(6)

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Rest: 5 mins
Total: 90 mins
Serves: 12 servings

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Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole

  • 6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-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

Directions

  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. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
484 Calories
32g Fat
27g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 484
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 19g 93%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 688mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 638mg 49%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 238mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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