Char's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• Bechemel Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk (1% to whole)
• 1/4 clouted onion
• nutmeg to taste
• salt to taste (after cheese is added)
• 1 1/4 cups Gruyere cheese (add more to taste)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Riggiano
• chunks of bleu cheese if desired
• equaling about 1/4 cup sm. dice
• 1/2 lb. penne pasta
• 2 large slices of French baquette, 1 or 2 days
• old, into bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Method

• Make sauce and flavor to taste with seasonings and cheese.
• BUTTER bottom of red au gratin dish (perfect size for this amount).
• Mix cooked pasta with sauce and place into au gratin.
• Add bread crumb and butter mixture.
• Bake until bread crumbs are golden at 375F.
• Variations on this theme:
• 1. Change cheeses to suit ethnic or style of meal.
• 2. Add sausage, tomatoes or other vegetables as desired.
• 3. Char: Try using bleu cheese, bacon and toasted walnuts for a unique and eye-opening
• first course! Think of another pasta.....?

Notes

• NOTES:
• NOTES : This is a crunchy style of mac & cheese and ever so delicious. The au gratin dish I use is about 1 1/2 qt. or so and it makes this the perfect crispy top and bottom.
• SERVINGS: 4
• SOURCE: Char Zyskowski