Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese
Call it macaroni.
It all starts with butter.
And more butter. That's 2 tablespoons, melted in the microwave (shh, don't tell Martha!) drizzled over 6 slices of white sandwich bread, cubed (we used Pepperidge Farm).
A quick toss to distribute the butter and then off to the sidelines till their big moment.
Grate your nutmeg fresh, like so -- you'll be happy you did.
Martha's trifecta of spices: 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, black pepper and cayenne. Lots of recipes call for ground mustard too, but there's already plenty of cheesy twang in here.
Next, par-cook the noodles -- just boil them for 3 minutes less than what the box says, since they'll finish cooking up in the sauce.
Done! No flabby noodles here.
Free starch on the pasta can lead to a grainy sauce, says Martha, so we rinse with cool water. This also stops them from cooking further.
Set those noodles aside and get ready to bechamel! Hot milk and hot butter are ready for action.
Scatter in half a cup of flour.
Whisk it for a minute, just until you smell the flour toasting.
Then slowly whisk in your hot milk and watch it thicken up. (Having a buddy to pour helps here.)
About five minutes later, it will get all thick and creamy and you can add your spice trifecta.
Then move on to stirring in cheese. And cheese and more cheese.
Cheese sauce!
Ohh, the cheese sauce.
Release the macaroni!
See how soupy it looks? That's a good thing. It means it won't dry out as the pasta finishes plumping up. Put some more cheese on it.
Add your buttery bread cubes.
Hit the oven.
30 minutes later, voila!
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Genius Recipes says: A genius recipe for perfectly creamy baked macaroni and cheese, adapted slightly from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. Note: You can easily divide this recipe in half -- use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish instead of a 3-quart one.
Serves 12
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
- 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn or diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
- 5 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (or other small pasta shape)
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter (alternately, melt butter in the microwave). Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside. Pull out 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar, and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and reserve.
- Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. In the same pot you used for boiling the pasta, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
- While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
- Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano. Stir reserved macaroni into the cheese sauce.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. If after 30 minutes, it's not browned to your liking, broil the topping rather than leaving it in the oven, which may cause the pasta to overcook and sauce to dry out. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!







25 days ago lolabelle26
Would this be ok to make in advance and just not bake until the day of? Would it still be as good? Trying to find good make-ahead dishes for superbowl. Thanks!
25 days ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
lolabelle26, check out EmilyC's comment below -- it should work well! I'd be really happy if this was served to me at a Super Bowl party.
27 days ago RRuby
I make this all the time. I like it just as written, but my husband and his girls love cheddar, so I often make is using only cheddar. I also like to mix panko with butter and a little cheese for the topping.
4 months ago Holly Zajac
I've made this recipe before. Some people don't like gruyere. In that case I would recommend using the pecorino instead.
5 months ago Socialgrl
I have been making this for years. This is the best mac n' cheese recipe that I've ever had, and I always get plenty of compliments. Just try it once, you'll love it too....
6 months ago MikeSteinberg
are you serious? that looks like a large dish of FAIL!
6 months ago hungreee
I find it hilarious that people comment on here about how theirs didn't turn out and how bad it tasted... and then they go on to say that they didn't follow the recipe exactly. They used different cheese or measurments or whatever. So technically, you didn't make THIS recipe, but you are still going to give it a bad review. I don't get it. FOLLOW THE RECIPE!
6 months ago hungreee
I find it hilarious that people comment on here about how theirs didn't turn out and how bad it tasted... and then they go on to say that they didn't follow the recipe exactly. They used different cheese or measurments or whatever. So technically, you didn't make THIS recipe, but you are still going to give it a bad review. I don't get it. FOLLOW THE RECIPE!
6 months ago hungreee
I find it hilarious that people comment on here about how theirs didn't turn out and how bad it tasted... and then they go on to say that they didn't follow the recipe exactly. They used different cheese or measurments or whatever. So technically, you didn't make THIS recipe, but you are still going to give it a bad review. I don't get it. FOLLOW THE RECIPE!
11 months ago MrsBeeton
Can I admit that I didn't find myself recoiling in foodie outrage at the idea of Velveeta--I was raised on the stuff (and loved it!). But still, I couldn't bring myself to buy it. What I did buy, though, was at least as good, and meets all the foodie prereqs: Italian fontina. You know, the soft, dare I say Velveeta-ish, cheese with the soft red-brown rind (never sure what to do with that rind--I always cut it off). OMG. This is the mac and cheese of my wildest dreams.
about 1 year ago greyrobot
I see a few comments asking why does the recipes call for rinsing the pasta. Although the starchy residue normally causes sauce to adhere better to pasta, with mac and cheese it also can contribute to a grainy texture in the sauce. Rinsing the pasta allows for a much creamier end product.
about 1 year ago Colt's Dad
Hey! I like the site. What's your opinion on using orzo pasta for this recipe?
about 1 year ago Ljf
1/2nutmeg
about 1 year ago Jim Butler
This is THE standard in our house...it's been made dozens of times, with one slight alteration that makes some people cringe...add about a 1/4 pound of Velveta.
Yes, I'm serious. :)
Try it, you won't be sorry...and it'll help move those that prefer that boxed stuff over to your side :)
-jb-
over 1 year ago EmilyC
I made this on Saturday for 5 adults and 2 toddlers -- everyone loved it! It really is the perfect mac-and-cheese -- so creamy, cheesy, and delicious. The cubed bread on top is a great touch. I'll be adding this dish to my rotation for entertaining...it serves a crowd and can be prepped in advance. I assembled the casserole early in the afternoon, and then baked it the oven right before serving dinner.
over 1 year ago DonnaL
Outstanding! It's truly creamy and doesn't dry out. I did not do the bread crumbs on top. Instead, I rendered five slices of thick-cut smoked bacon and crumbled it. I added some throughout and then reserved some to sprinkle on top. It gave it a wonderfully smoky flavor. One quibble: It did not fit in a 3-quart casserole. It needed a 4-quart _ even pre-bacon.
over 1 year ago crazyblues
ok, I actually thought, no way can this recipe use all this sauce - I'm going to be clever and save some aside. A big mistake. When the mac and cheese came out of the oven looking beautiful, I could see with one big spoonful - that it was too dry. Dammit! Next time I will know better. I added the sauce that I left out, and it was good, but not the same, and too late my children were again convince that the box mac and cheese was the best... (which I won't buy, and am determined to prove them wrong!!)
over 1 year ago seisinger
Baking in the oven now! Good recipe for a cool fall dinners this week.
over 1 year ago memagee
I cook lunches at a small school and made this Mac n Cheese Friday. I had kids waiting around for seconds even after the recess bell rang.
over 1 year ago The Good Cook
Sounds delicious! I'll try this tomorrow.
over 1 year ago Carrie Blaydes
This is my favorite mac & cheese recipe, without a doubt. I have only made it a couple of times, since it is a bit of a production, but once you've tried the end result anything else kind of pales in comparison!
I feel like I can genuinely trust Martha in all-things-Gruyere, and this recipe proves me right once again. LOL!