The best Mac and Cheese ever

My Great Grandmother- Micky as she was called. Really Adeline McCormick Pearson. She lived to the ripe old age of 103. She was cutest thing you have ever seen. She made the worlds best Macaroni & Cheese, Clam Chowder, Fried Chicken and the #1 cookie of all times. A cookie that in fact was so good my mother and I got in a fight over them and didn't talk for a few months. She was the funniest little thing and I miss her dearly. 

When I was a little girl and we would go to visit her in the summer we begged her to make the mac and cheese in the blue box, you know the Kraft one. Well she made the best homemade Mac & Cheese in the world and I wish more then anything she could still make it for us and that I didn't want that stupid blue box instead of hers.

But in our search for the best replacement because we don't have her recipe, I discovered one that is very close to hers. And of course it is Martha's Mac and Cheese that was her mothers recipe. It holds up to any other Mac and Cheese, it is cheesy, simple, rich & delicious... And like with all recipes, it is all about the ingredients, don't skimp on the cheese if you can. You have to have the aged white cheddar and the gruyere, medium cheddar and swiss cheese won't cut it...

Serves 12

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere  set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere , and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.