This comforting staple gets a hearty new twist by using smoked gouda, havarti and white cheddar. Creamy and satisfying. Serve with tomato soup for a classic lunch, or just scoop it out on its own. Ingredients
2 cups medium shell pasta (elbow pasta is perfectly acceptable as well)
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 tablespoons of butter, plus 1 for the bread crumbs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup havarti cheese, shredded
2 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 slices of french bread cubed (about 1 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the noodles in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. (Note: The pasta will not be fully cooked yet; the remaining cooking will occur during baking.) Rinse with cold water. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
In a 2 quart sauce pan melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Next add the milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until thickened about 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet melt the remaining butter and add the bread crumbs. Cook until slightly toasted about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Once the cheese sauce has thickened pour it over the noodles and stir to combine. You want to make sure that all of the noodles are covered with the cheese sauce.
Pour macaroni into a casserole dish and top with the toasted bread crumbs. Bake until the sauce is bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
Serves 4
