Mac & Cheese with Gruyere, Olives & Tomatoes
- Yield 6-8 servings
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 cups milk
- butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 (6 oz) can California ripe black olives, sliced
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs, unseasoned
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the milk ( do not boil ). In a large saucepan, melt 6 TBSP of butter, whisk in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and thick. Remove from heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gently stir in the macaroni. Spoon into a prepared 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle olives over pasta, top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Melt the remaining 2 TBSP butter, drizzle over the bread crumbs. Bake for 40 minutes, until top is golden brown.
* This is not your average mac & cheese. The addition of the olives, tomatoes and Gruyere makes this dish the epitome of comfort food.
