Ingredients:
16 ounces macaroni pasta
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese, optional
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Tabasco Sauce (or hot pepper sauce) to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs for topping
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese) for topping
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pan to keep warm. Learn How To Cook Pasta Properly.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter; remove from heat and set aside. When pasta is done cooking and is drained, stir butter into the pasta; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine grated cheddar cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and gouda cheese; set aside.
In a medium-size sauce pan over low heat, heat milk and sour cream. Add all the combined grated cheeses; stir and let the cheeses melt. After cheese has melted, add Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce; stir to combine. Remove from heat. With a whisk, stir in the beaten eggs.
In a large casserole dish or cast-iron Dutch oven, combine cheese sauce with the cooked pasta. The macaroni should be soupy at this point, as it will absorb a large amount of sauce as it bakes. The dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days at this point.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and the 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
To cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Top the dish with bread crumbs/cheese combination. Place on a baking sheet and bake approximately 25 minutes (longer if refrigerated) until hot. To give a browned and bubbly finish, place the dish under the broiler approximately 3 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
