mac and cheese

The Husband loves his Mac and Cheese.  I've attempted this recipe many times, each time tweaking it a little, but I think I finally perfected it. The sauce is made from scratch which is a little time consuming, but I think completely worth it.  I just need to figure out how to use less pots!

Mac and Cheese
(adapted from Ina Garten)
ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups cavatappi
• 3 cups milk
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 8 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
• 6 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 4 oz mozerella, parmesan
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• Panko flakes
• Freshly chopped basil leaves
• 1 cup ham, cubed
• 1 cup sweet corn

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. 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.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium 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 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheeses, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into a 9x12 pan.
4. Sprinkle the panko and basil leaves on top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

 Note: You can add almost anything in, I liked it the most with ham & corn, but I've made this dish with broccoli and chicken too.