Recipes Dinner Pasta and Noodle Dishes Mac and Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs 4.0 (3,998) 3 Reviews Small chunks of cheddar and Colby cheeses throughout give this classic dish a perfect hit of flavor and a fabulous gooey texture. By Grace Parisi Grace Parisi Grace Parisi a former senior test kitchen editor for Food & Wine, where she wrote several successful monthly columns: Food & Wine Handbook, Tasting & Testing, Flavor of the Month, Power Pantry, and Chefs Recipes Made Easy. Parisi has also been published in McCall’s, Redbook, and The New York Times, has written five hit cookbooks, and has appeared numerous times on national television. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 1, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Yield: 6 servings Frequently asked questions Why put breadcrumbs on mac and cheese? Not only does a breadcrumb topping for mac and cheese provide great textural contrast to the creaminess within, but it also adds even more flavor to the dish. Here, the breadcrumbs are tossed with melted butter and seasoned, ensuring they bake up into a delightfully crisp, golden crust that yields to each forkful of gooey, cheesy noodles. What are the best cheeses for mac and cheese? When it comes to making macaroni and cheese, using a combination of two or more types of cheese is key to achieving both a big cheesy flavor and a wonderfully creamy texture. For this recipe, we get the best of both worlds by pairing an assertive sharp cheddar with mild-mannered Colby, which is a natural melter, in a ratio of 2-to-1. What's "best" ultimately depends on your own preference, so think of it like a custom blend: Match a bold-flavored cheese with one that has superb meltability to reach mac and cheese nirvana. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Be sure to purchase block cheese for this recipe, not the pre-shredded kind. For the best melt, you'll want to dice it into half-inch cubes, which won't clump like grated cheese tends to do. Half of the cheese gets stirred into the hot sauce, and the other half is tossed with the pasta and sauce before it's baked to create tiny pockets of gooey cheese throughout. If you'd like to make this dish in advance, you can assemble it ahead of time and then refrigerate it overnight. Bring it to room temperature before baking. Ingredients 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing the baking dish 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, divided 1/2 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, divided 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of cayenne pepper Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound elbow macaroni 3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the half-and-half and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add one-half of the cheddar and Colby cheeses and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the elbow macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain very well. Return the macaroni to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and the remaining cheese and stir until combined. Spread the macaroni in the prepared baking dish. In a small glass bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave oven. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and stir until evenly moistened. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the macaroni and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbling and golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Jennifer Causey Originally appeared: September 2003 Rate It Print