Source: saved recipe (Google Drive)
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow pasta
- 6 tbsp butter (5 tbsp for the sauce, 1 tbsp for the top)
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Pinch dry cayenne powder
- 3 cups milk
- 5 oz sharp cheese, grated (4 oz for the sauce, 1 oz for the top)
- 4 oz mild cheese, grated (3 oz for the sauce, 1 oz for the top)
- 3 oz Romano cheese, grated (2 oz for the sauce, 1 oz for the top)
- 2 oz Colby cheese, grated
Directions
- In a large saucepan, cook the pasta 9 minutes. Drain in a colander (do not rinse).
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the same saucepan, melt 5 tbsp butter. Turn heat to medium and add the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir about 1 minute until incorporated.
- Add the milk and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Turn heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the sauce starts to bubble, about 5 minutes — it will thicken as it bubbles but won’t get much thicker once it does.
- Remove from heat and stir in 4 oz sharp cheese, 3 oz mild cheese, 2 oz Romano, and the 2 oz Colby. Once combined, add the pasta.
- Pour into a buttered 13x9” baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 oz sharp, 1 oz mild, and 1 oz Romano cheese. Scatter tiny pieces of the remaining 1 tbsp butter around the dish.
- Bake 30-40 minutes until browned and bubbly. Turn to low broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp the top slightly.