Fancy Ass Mac and Cheese.

Who doesn't love mac and cheese, honestly? I had some leftover ingredients that I didn't want to expire so I mixed them up and created my "Fancy Ass Mac and Cheese". What I mean by fancy is that I added some ingredients that made the mac and cheese more decadent, including sage, nutmeg, Gruyere cheese, and panko breading crust. These all come together to create a really special spin on a classic comfort food. It's so good!

Yummy, cheesy, and crunchy goodness. 

Here's how I made it...

Ingredients:

• Vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 pound pasta like elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Drizzle oil into a large pot of salted boiling water. Add the macaroni and cook for 6-8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan, but don't boil it. 
4. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Add the sage and flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. 
5. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more until thickened and smooth. 
6. Off the heat, add the Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, nutmeg. 
7. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour mixture into a baking dish. 
8. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and combine it with the panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle on the top. 
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top. 

Voila!