Martha's Mac and Cheese

So a few weeks ago, before I left for Ireland, I made a big batch of the best Mac and Cheese ever. There are many versions of mac and cheese but as far as I am concerned, Martha's trumps them all. Yes, it takes more time to prepare than a box of Kraft but the final product is so amazing, you'll be happy you put in the extra effort. Whenever my sister comes to visit, she requests this mac and cheese. The last time she was in town, we polished off half (6 servings worth) in a day...it's just that good. This time, I froze all of it in individual containers so J would have something to eat while I was gone.

This makes a ton of mac and cheese. Thankfully, this recipe is really easy to half and it also freezes really nicely. I like to serve it with some salad or a green vegetable; mostly to justify the buttery-cheesy-carby goodness I'm about to consume. I also like to split the mac and cheese between two baking dishes which yields more of the crunchy edges that I crave but you can just as easily put it all in one big dish.

Martha's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

12 servings

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni (I used cavatappi) until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

A culinary journey through Belfast, Galway, Dublin and Edinburgh

At Maggie May's in Belfast. Fish and Chips with peas.

My first pint of Guinness in Belfast!

Irish coffee from the Bushmills Distillery

Hot Toddy from Bushmills Distillery

Hot Chocolate and Baileys, delicious!

Bushmills Distillery

Chicken Pot Pie, Belfast

Bangers and Mash, Belfast

Kilkenny cream ale...very yummy!

Kingshead Tavern, Galway

At the Kingshead Tavern in Galway. Seafood chowder, so amazing! There were bits of salmon and cod and mussels, some of the best chowder I've ever had. The brown bread looks kind of plain but is really good, especially when dipped in the soup. The butter is delicious. I know it's just butter and you wouldn't think it would be different but it really is. There's probably some kind of ridiculous health code in the U.S. about producing butter. If you're ever in Ireland, taste the butter. It's so much creamier and yummier than our butter.

Pizza from Spar, surprisingly good.

Vegetable soup at a small, nameless cafe on Inis Mor near Dun Aonghasa.

All of the soup I had was creamed in someway. When I inquired about the soup of the day I was told vegetable broth, and this is what came out. Not that I was disappointed, it was fantastic home made soup.

I am embarrassed to tell you that I am one of those American's that ate at a fast food chain while in another country. It was in the airport and I was incredibly hung-over and my butty and hashbrowns saved me from certain illness.

Falafel plate at a small Greek cafe in Edinburgh. I was in desperate need of some vegetables!

In Edinburgh we decided to cook in our hostel. Everything is fried somehow so I needed a break. I felt like there was a puddle of grease in my stomach. We bought some veggies and made a salad and some stir fry with curry and brown rice.

At the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

Roasted Barley, it gives Guinness it's distinct flavor. It smells exactly like a pint of the black stuff.

Pour your own pint at Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

Letting it settle.

Our finished pints. I am now certified by Guinness to pour the perfect pint!

Ray's Pizza in Dublin. I didn't eat here but was comforted to know that I could get a crappy slice if I so chose.

The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

Haggis! I know, I know, it sounds disgusting. But is it anymore disgusting than eating a hot dog? I decided that I couldn't travel all the way to Scotland without trying some Haggis. So I went to the Witchery where their Haggis has won awards. It was actually quite delicious, much better than I was expecting. In all fairness, I was expecting to be revolted.

The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

I have always been strongly opposed to eating veal. I won't touch it, let alone try it. But everyone kept saying how yummy the lamb is this time of year so I had to try it. Besides, it doesn't count if you're in another country.

The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

Bakeswell Tart with clotted cream. Clotted cream sounds nasty but it's really a lot like whipped cream. The consistency is a little different but it's the same idea.

Ginger Beer, not an Irish or Scottish thing but it was really good.

Cod Goujons and chips at a small cafe by Loch Ness. There are many kinds of goujons on menus over there. Chicken, various kinds of fish, etc. I'm pretty sure it's like our fingers. Like when we say chicken fingers or fish fingers.

Here in NYC, I live a few blocks from a really good bagel shop, Essa Bagel. I have to limit my trips there because I know that bagels are bad for you. In Ireland where everything is battered and fried, a bagel really is a healthy alternative.

Last meal in Dublin, fish and chips from Leo Burdocks. This picture really doesn't do it justice. We were a group of 3 and each ordered our own but easily could have shared one. They practically give you an entire fish, battered and fried to perfection.