Creamy Gruyere Mac and Cheese

Notes

Make sure to cook the pasta al dente; it will continue to cook while baking.
Watch your roux closely. Burning it will result in a bitter taste throughout your mac and cheese.
Do not use pre-shredded cheese if you don’t have to! It has a coating on it that doesn’t melt as well. Shred your own cheese – I promise it’s worth the extra step!
Adding milk when reheating your leftovers will help the mac and cheese stay creamy and not dry out.

	1 pound pasta – you can use any kind you want but I prefer to use elbow or cavatappi
	6 tablespoons butter, divided
	¼ cup flour
	3 cups whole milk
	1 cup heavy cream
	3 garlic cloves, finely minced (You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic)
	½ teaspoon ground mustard
	½ teaspoon paprika
	½ teaspoon sea salt
	½ teaspoon pepper
	3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
	2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
	1 cup breadcrumbs

1.	Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×13 pan or casserole dish.
2.	Prepare the pasta al dente according to the package. Drain and immediately toss with 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
3.	Combine all the shredded cheese and toss, setting aside one cup for later.
4.	Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk consistently to combine for about 1 minute to create a roux. It should start to turn a darker brown.
5.	Slowly add in two cups of the milk, whisking constantly to make sure no clumping occurs.
6.	Once mixture is smooth, add in remaining milk and heavy cream and stir until the mixture begins to thicken and starts to slightly bubble. Stir in the paprika, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.
7.	Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheddar/gruyere cheese mixture. Add in remaining 2 cups and stir until all the cheese is melted, forming a smooth silky sauce.
8.	Mix the cheese sauce and pasta together and pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish.
9.	Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix together with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese and breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and cheese.
10.	Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.