Grownup Mac and Cheese

We were hankering for some mac and cheese. We had a great one from this restaurant in Lehigh Gorge so I looked around for something to try. I found this (http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/addictive-mac-and-cheese/) from a blog entry on the NY Times. I did not have enough time nor cheese so I tweaked the recipe a bit. Hey we all liked it so this goes on our blog!

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 grated cheddar

1  grated pecorino Romano

1 pound elbow macaroni

Method

1. Combine milk and cream in a pot and heat. Melt butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cheddar, and pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese.