Baked Mac & Cheese

6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra as needed

6 tbsp flour or 6 tbsp America’s Test Kitchen flour + ½ tsp xanthan gum or 6 tbsp of your favorite GF flour + ½ tsp xanthan gum

4 cups milk, heated almost to a boil

1½ tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground white pepper

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 large egg yolks

1½ cups (about 6 oz) packed freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I have also used a cheese combo of Swiss & Gruyere that I found at Trader Joe’s)

1 lb dried GF macaroni (use whatever brand is your favorite, I have found brown rice based macaroni works well for me – it’s a nice texture & doesn’t have an aftertaste)

1 cup (about 3 oz) packed freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided in ½

1 cup (about 4 oz) freshly shredded mozzarella cheese ( have also used Quatro Fromage shredded cheese from Trader Joe’s)

¾ - 1 cup GF course dry bread crumbs

Making a roux

Whisk together GF flour & xanthan gum.

In large heavy saucepan over high heat melt butter (being careful not to brown it). When it bubbles, gradually sprinkle and whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, without browning.

Completing and enriching the béchamel

Whisking continuously, gradually pour the hot milk into the roux. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Briskly whisk the egg yolks into the pan.

Make the milk REALLY hot (so you see it steaming), but not boiling - you don’t want to burn it.

Making the cheese sauce

Whisk in the Cheddar until smooth. Simmer over low heat, whisking often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes (I found that this takes closer to 5-10 minutes with GF flour). Add and whisk in ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more nutmeg if you like.

Cooking the macaroni

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still slightly chewy. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Rinse the macaroni under cold running water to stop the cooking, and drain again.

Combining macaroni & sauce

Butter a 10- to 12-cup (9 x 13 inch) baking dish. Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl. Add the cheese sauce and stir well to combine, adding some reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed to coat the pasta well. Spread the mixture in the prepared dish. (Whole recipe fits nicely in medium cast iron skillet or 9x13 inch pan, ½ recipe works in small cast iron skillet or 1.5 qt baking dish)

Topping the casserole

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. (May use baking stone, which will help distribute the heat evenly.) Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, then the breadcrumbs. Dot the top with 1 - 2 tbsp butter, optional.

Baking & serving

Bake until the pasta is heated through and the topping is crisp and deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes (I rotate half way through baking to ensure it bakes evenly. And keep an eye on it during the second half of baking - the top can get very brown, very quickly.) To serve, scoop onto individual plates or into bowls.

Notes: This is based on Wolfgang Puck’s recipe – thank you Chef! I have found a couple different versions of his recipe. But this one is mostly based on the one from his Master Class. And I have modified it to be GF.

This recipe is easy to cut in half.

Don’t let this recipe intimidate you. It really is very simple! The trick is getting all of your ingredients ready ahead of time. I even line them up in the order I’m going to use them!