Mac and Cheese

Source: http://beautyandthefeastblog.com/2013/11/07/recipe-a-very-indulgent-baked-mac-n-cheese/

Ingredients
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
½ cup all-purpose flour
16 ounces Gruyere, grated (I got two blocks of 8 oz cheese)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon of chili powder
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
2 jalapeno peppers (minced)
1 ½ cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed..I used more like 8 though! See how much you need as you go)







Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.

While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Turn off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon of chili powder and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and jalapenos and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. In a separate pan, first melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top (note: because I ended up using more slices, I also needed about 2 more tbsp of butter to dress it with).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.