My husband loves mac and cheese, and we decided to try this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/791299472-creamy-mac-and-cheese-with-buttered-crumbs?unlocked_article_code=1.G1E.ourk.neG1O0njXeTE&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe as follows: for the main body, 12 oz (minus 1/4 cup, set aside) Trader Joe’s Ooey Gooey Cheese Blend (https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products.html), which is a combo of cheddar, gruyere, and havarti (see note below); 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 cups milk, 1/2 lb (8 oz) large elbow pasta, and 1/4 tsp freshly grated whole nutmeg. We used a splash of hot pasta water. We placed the contents in an 8×8” buttered baking dish.
Second, for the topping, 1/2 cup panko, 1 Tbsp melted butter, 1/8 tsp each salt and black pepper, and 1/4 cup of the set-aside Trader Joe’s Ooey Gooey.
Third, we found that the mac and cheese cooled too quickly. We broiled the casserole at the broiler setting on Low. But the main dish was not warm, so we then heated the entire casserole at 350 for 10 mins. (Oct. 2026)
We served this dish with this salad: https://cookingadventures.blog/2015/03/25/pear-avocado-and-spinach-salad-i-learned-this/ (we used honeycrisp apple instead of pear).
Note: The next time, we may hand-shred an 8 oz block of cheddar and a 6 oz block of gruyere, for a total of 14 oz shredded cheese.
