Directions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish.
- 2Combine the shredded cheddar and gruyere cheese and set aside.
- 3In a microwave, melt 4 tbsp of the butter.
- 4To a medium-sized bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs, grated parm, paprika, ".5" tsp salt, and 4 tbsp melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
- 5Cook the elbow macaroni a few minutes shy of al dente, strain, and toss with olive oil.
- 6Add 4 tbsp of butter to a heavy bottom pot and melt over low heat.
- 7Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour until it is lump-free and the roux is a golden/blonde color.
- 8Slowly whisk in the whole milk and heavy whipping cream until lump-free.
- 9Raise the temperature to medium and mix in 0.75 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, 0.5 tsp onion powder, and all the nduja or Calabrian chili pepper.
- 10Once the nduja has dissolved, begin slowly adding 4.5 cups of the mixed cheddar and gruyere cheese.
- 11Continue to whisk until the cheese has dissolved and the sauce has thickened.
- 12Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and remove from heat.
- 13Add half of the pasta mixture to the baking dish.
- 14Then add the remaining 2 cups of cheese, followed by the remaining pasta mixture.
- 15Top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
- 16Serve warm.
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2.5 cups shredded gruyere
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided in half
- 1.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 0.33 cup grated parm
- 1.25 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 0.25 cup flour
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 1.5 cup heavy whipping cream
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- 4 ounces nduja or jarred Calabrian chili pepper
Equipment
potwhiskbaking dishcolanderwooden spoon
Tips
- For the panko crust, mix breadcrumbs, grated parm, paprika, 0.5 tsp salt, and 4 tbsp melted butter.
- Cook pasta a few minutes shy of al dente, strain, and toss with olive oil before adding to the sauce.
- The sauce should take about 5 minutes to thicken after adding the cheese.
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