Baked Mac And Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 0.75 tsp fine sea salt
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
• 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely shredded
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter – melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Stir the kosher salt into the boiling water, add the elbow macaroni, and cook until very al dente, 1–2 minutes shy of package time. Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, melt 6 tbsp unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, until foamy and blond, 2–3 minutes.
4. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and half-and-half, bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–7 minutes.
5. Off the heat, whisk in the Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Add the sharp cheddar cheese and Gruyère cheese by handfuls, stirring until fully melted and smooth.
6. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and fold to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread evenly.
7. In a bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Pour in the 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter and toss until evenly moistened.
8. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the macaroni. Bake until bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.