mac & cheese

When I was at Winn-Dixie the other day, I saw a to-die-for picture of mac & cheese on a magazine at the register. Don't you love how they suck you in to buying more stuff while you wait to check out?

Anyhoot, the magazine is Family Circle magazine, and it was on sale for $1.99 so I thought, what the heck, and bought it! Let me start off by saying, this isn't easy or quick to make. But, it's definitely worth the time and effort!

http://www.familycircle-digital.com/familycircle/20091017#pg1

Sorry that I don't have any pictures. I was in a rush to have dinner ready and it was 9pm by the time we finally got to chow down!

Makes: 12 side-dish servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: Boil 6 minutes Bake at 350 for 20 minutes Broil 3 minutes

1 box (1 lb) pasta (penne or elbow works best)
3/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Heat oven to 350. Coat a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.

2. Once water boils, add pasta. Cook 6 minutes, then drain. In a large bowl, toss together the cheddar, Gruyere, and Asiago. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and slightly bubbly. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion powder, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in 2.5 cups of the cheese mixture.

4. In pasta pot, stir together the cooked pasta and the cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the cheese. Spoon remaining pasta into dish and top with remaining cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil and cook 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Yummy yummy! If you decide to cook it, let me know so I can come over and eat some :)