"Real Simple" Macaroni and Cheese

Welcome back to Holiday Cooking the Traditional Way and the Holly Way! Today's recipe is a Macaroni and Cheese recipe I got out of Real Simple magazine. I had always wanted to make homemade Macaroni and Cheese, but I never knew how to do it without opening a box of the blue stuff. I was excited when I found this recipe because I was confident I would make a fantastic dish that everyone would love. This is a good recipe and it does makes delicious macaroni and cheese, but it is challenging to make for a novice chef. In this recipe you make the sauce for the macaroni and cheese with milk and cheese. Cooking milk and cheese over a hot stove is not as simple as one would think. It tends to stick to the bottom of a pan if you're not stirring it fast enough (which I learned the hard way more than once) but if you stir it too fast it doesn't get hot enough. This recipe is more of what I would call a "gourmet" Macaroni and Cheese (especially with the Gruyère) and not what I would consider suitable for a casual family Thanksgiving. Here is the "Real Simple" recipe for Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole or low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Cheddar
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gruyère
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F.

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Still stirring, slowly add the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes. Add the Cheddar, Gruyère, salt, and cayenne (if using) and heat until the cheeses melt.

Drain and rinse the macaroni. Add it to the sauce and toss. Transfer to a buttered casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

I've made this recipe twice and it's always gotten rave reviews. But with the cost of Gruyère cheese and the time involved in making this, I started looking for other Macaroni and Cheese recipes. I'll share the new family favorite next time.