• About
  • Websites
    • Travel
    • Weddings
    • Small Businesses
    • Portfolio
  • Contact
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Jai La Vie

  • Appetizers
  • Meals
  • Sides
  • Baking
  • Dessert
  • Cocktails
  • Fooducation

April 9, 2013 · 10 Comments

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese with Gruyere

Recipes

As I mentioned, I made my favorite meal for Sunday dinner. Unlike my traditional mac and cheese recipe, Ina Garten (AKA Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa) makes hers with Gruyere cheese, making it more gourmet and delicious. Gruyere is a hard yellow cheese and very expensive, so I don’t make this version often. But when I do (or my mom does), it’s a treat and the best comfort food there is. (I’m pretty sure Ina made this as part of Barefoot Contessa’s “comfort food” episode.)

While you cook the pasta, heat the milk.  In a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in flour, then the warm milk.  Stir for a minute until thickened.

Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese

Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add cheeses.

[TIP: Since Gruyere is so expensive (about $1 per ounce when I bought it), I switched the cheese measurements Ina suggests and used 8 oz. Gruyere and 12 oz. cheddar.]

Once cheese is melted, stir in the cooked macaroni.  I used cavatappi (the curly tube macaroni).

Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese

Spread in a baking dish and top with sliced tomatoes.  Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and sprinkle on top.   [I used regular Panko bread crumbs.]

Bake for a half hour until browned, bubbly, and melty.

Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese

  • Kosher salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
  • 1 quart milk
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups) [JLV substitute: 8 oz. Gruyere, 12 oz. cheddar]
  • 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed) [JLV substitue: Panko bread crumbs]

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

« The City that Never Sleeps, Always Eats, and Makes Tipsy Art
Anti-BBQ Recipes: Pulled Pork and Broccoli Slaw »

Comments

  1. pmccorkl says

    April 10, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    I love Ina! Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods too. I’ve been looking for a new recipe to switch up my normal mac and cheese. Although gruyere is expensive I look forward to trying this soon

    Reply
    • Jai says

      April 11, 2013 at 9:43 am

      This one is DEFINITELY worth trying. I’m a huge mac and cheese fan and this is by far my favorite!

      Reply
  2. Paula says

    August 13, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    While reading this I noticed the amounts of cheese doesn’t add up. Twelve oz = 4 cups and 8 oz is 2 cups? 16 oz is 4 cups. Which should I really use?

    Reply
    • jailavie says

      August 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Paula – good question! It is a bit confusing because the measurements for blocks of cheese is by weight vs. shredded cheese which is by volume (even though they both say “ounces”). So an 8 oz block of cheese will actually yield about 2 cups by volume when shredded (depending on the type of cheese). If you are buying a block of Gruyere, 12 oz will do – but if you are buying it pre-shredded, then 3-4 cups works. Hope that makes sense! Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Laura says

    February 17, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Yummy so delicious

    Reply
  4. Laura says

    January 27, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    I’ve made her Mac and cheese several times and one substitute that I’ve used instead of the expensive gruyere is Swiss cheese. I’ve read somewhere that it makes a pretty good substitute and I’ve never had a problem. In fact, I’ve never made this with the required cheese.

    Reply
    • jailavie says

      January 28, 2018 at 11:42 am

      Thanks, Laura! Gruyere is just a high-end type of Swiss cheese so you can totally switch it out. Definitely will save money! I love the taste of Gruyere but not the price so I found doing part Gruyere and part cheddar works out pretty well.

      Reply
  5. Tamara H. says

    August 9, 2019 at 6:37 pm

    What does the nutmeg do to the flavor profile?

    Reply
  6. Jen says

    December 21, 2019 at 4:40 pm

    Can this be made a day in advance and then reheated?

    Reply
    • jailavie says

      December 23, 2019 at 10:31 am

      Yes it can! You can also prepare it up to the last step (before you bake it) and refrigerate, and then just bake it the next day!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Are you human? *

About Jai

JaiI'm a foodie, traveler, and just-for-fun blogger living outside of Manhattan enjoying the food, fun, and chaos that life brings.

For more about me, click here.

Recent Posts

  • Crab Cakes
  • Easy Vanilla Cream Puffs
  • Ina Garten’s Fig & Ricotta Cake

Kitchen Essentials

Blog Post Categories

Jai La Vie Archive

Links

Click for Coupons & Cash Back

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back    Mr. Rebates

Copyright © 2023 · | A publication of Travista Media