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(More Than) Fond o' Macaroni and Cheese

While not as creamy as some other recipes, it isn't dry either.

However, some feel it is a little oily, probably because the recipe calls for so much cheese, plus a tablespoon of butter on top.

This dish is clearly not labor-intensive, largely because the elbow macaroni does not have to be cooked first.

The liquid from the milk helps soften the pasta during the baking process.

And we're all for anything that gets our mac 'n' cheese to the table as quickly as possible.

(More Than) Fond o' Macaroni and Cheese

Makes 6 servings

• 4 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering baking dish
• Plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 large or 3 small shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 6 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
• 3 ounces grated Comte cheese (see note)
• 3 ounces Petit Basque cheese (see note)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 to 12 ounces tubular pasta, such as elbow or penne (see note)

TOPPING

• 3 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole and coat with dry bread crumbs. Set aside. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a 3 3/4-quart (minimum) saucepan and cook the shallots over low heat until they are quite soft but not browned, adding the white pepper and salt. Add the flour and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly and has taken on a slight “blond” color.

Add the milk, cream and brandy, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has come to a simmer and begun to thicken. Add nutmeg. Turn the heat to low. Add a little of the white sauce to the beaten egg and beat to combine. Add the egg mixture to the sauce, stirring constantly. Do not let the sauce boil. Add the 6 ounces of Gruyere, the Comte and the Petit Basque. Stir until the cheeses are melted, then turn the heat off. Add several turns of black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

While the sauce is being prepared, cook pasta in boiling salted water until almost done. Drain pasta and turn into a large bowl. Add the sauce and stir. Pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared casserole dish and top with the 3 ounces grated Gruyere and the 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Take the casserole out of the oven and turn the oven to broil, adjusting the oven rack as appropriate for your broiler. Return the casserole to the oven and broil for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp and further brown the top, watching carefully.

Remove the casserole from the broiler and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: Look for Comte and Petite Basque at cheese shops and markets with good cheese selections, such as Whole Foods and Bristol Farms.

The original recipe calls for 8 ounces of pasta and notes that it will look like there is too much sauce, but things will be fine once it bakes. In testing the recipe, we used a little more pasta.

(From Jeanene Perry, winner of Taste Artisan Cheese & Gourmet Shop's Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Challenge)

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