Baked Mac N Cheese

Taken from GQ Magazine, this is Barefoot Contessa's Jeffrey-approved recipe for baked mac-n-cheese. All I had to purchase for this was the gruyere cheese, so I went for it. It's rich and filling, and i recommend a nice smoky gruyere. I used vine tomatoes, which gave it a bit of acidity the dish would otherwise be missing.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1  lb  fusilli, cavatappi or 1  lb elbow macaroni
• 1  quart milk
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12  ounces gruyere, grated
• 8  ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 lb fresh tomato, sliced
• 1 1⁄2 cups  fresh white breadcrumbs (made from 5 slices of white bread, pulsed in a food processor)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Drizzle a few drops of oil into the boilding water, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but do not allow it to boil.
4. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour all at once. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Whish in the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
6. Arrange the tomato slices on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablesppons of butter, toss with the fresh breadcrumbs to coat evenly, and sprinkle all over the top of the casserole.
7. Bake for 30 oto 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the pasta is browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.