Toast the crumbs: In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I’m utilizing this one), soften 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium warmth and add the breadcrumbs. Toast the crumbs within the butter, stirring, till they’re a lightweight golden brown. Season with a pinch of salt and scrape crumbs right into a dish to put aside. Swipe out the pan to scrub it, if you want. No person will discover if a crumb leads to the sauce, nonetheless.
Soak your pasta: Place raw pasta in a big bowl and canopy with scorching faucet water. Soak for 10 minutes then drain it, shaking the pasta out. (I discover it traps a whole lot of water.)
Make the sauce and assemble: Mix the three cheeses proper on the paper or board you’ve grated them onto.
Return your ovenproof skillet to the range over medium-high warmth and soften the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in it. Add the flour, whisking to mix. Add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to mix every addition with the butter-flour combination till clean. When all milk is added, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond model; use half of another model), many grinds of black pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg, and cook dinner, stirring, till combination involves a simmer and begins to thicken. As soon as simmering, cook dinner for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Flip the burner off.
Setting apart 2/3 cup of the cheese combination, add the remainder of the cheeses to the sauce, stirring simply till it has melted. Style the sauce (fastidiously!) right here and alter seasonings if wanted to style. Stir in drained pasta till evenly coated. Sprinkle the floor with reserved cheese, adopted by the toasted breadcrumbs.
Bake: Switch the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for half-hour. You’ll be able to fish out a chunk of macaroni simply to verify it’s cooked by way of, however I’ve by no means discovered this to be a problem. Add one other 5 minutes within the oven, if wanted for it to melt. If you would like it a little bit extra browned on high, run the pan briefly below your broiler for a minute.
Serve: Let relaxation for two to three minutes, then serve straight away.
Do forward: Given the selection between reheating cooked macaroni and cheese and baking it recent, and provided that it may possibly take nearly the identical quantity of oven time to bake it as to heat it by way of, I all the time select baking the mac and cheese proper earlier than serving it. You’ll be able to assemble it earlier, nonetheless, and bake earlier than you’re able to eat. Reheat leftovers within the unique pan or an ovenproof dish at 350°F for 20 to half-hour.
