Smoky Macaroni & Cheese

Husband Taste Rating: ***1/2  

"Could use more cayenne pepper.  Some bites are really flavorful, some not so much.  Good though!"

I found this recipe online and decided to try it out.  Gotta use up that smoked Gouda from the other day.  I followed the recipe exactly for the first time.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

5 1/2 cups milk, divided

2 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used sharp)

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

olive oil

Step One:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step Two:

Fill a pot with lightly-salted water and bring to a boil.  Stir the macaroni into the water and return to a boil.  Cook and occasionally stir until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm.  About 8 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Step Three:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk continually for 1 to 2 minutes to make a roux.  Whisk 2 cups of the milk into the roux until smooth and then add the remaining milk.  Raise the heat to medium-high and continue cooking and stirring until thickened, but not boiling.

Step Four:

Stir the Gouda, Cheddar, Swiss, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese into the mixture.

Step Five:

Once the cheeses have melted completely, fold the drained macaroni into the mixture to coat.  Pour the macaroni mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step Six:

Stir 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl; sprinkle over the macaroni.  Drizzle the olive oil over the bread crumbs.

Step Seven:

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting