Grown Up Macaroni and Cheese

I wanted to make a Mac and Cheese not like the kids recipe, which contains Velveeta cheese, so I found this recipe from the Once Upon a Chef Blog. It's super creamy, has three cheeses in it and is topped with crunchy Panko crumbs.  Perfect!

The recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (8 ounces) macaroni, cavatappi or penne pasta.  I used Conchiglie pasta that I found at Whole Foods.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing the pan
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 ounces gruyere, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 ounces extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set an oven rack in the middle position.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish with butter.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente, or just slightly underdone.  Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium (2 quart) saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.  While whisking, gradually add the milk.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered for a few minutes more, until thickened and smooth.  Off the heat, whisk in the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add the cooked pasta and stir well.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.  Stir in the herb de Provence or thyme.  Sprinkle the toasted panko mixture over the pasta and cheese sauce, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.