Lunch: The Mac n Cheese

Ingredients

1 pound orecchiette pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small loaf brioche or other enriched bread
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 pound chevre
1/3 pound extra-sharp Vermont cheddar
1/3 pound gouda (aged 1 year)
1/3 pound comte (aged 1 year)
1/3 pound raclette (French or Swiss)
1/4 pound provolone
Plus any bits, nibs, ends, or leftover nubs of any cheese you have kicking around in your refrigerator
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Instructions

Our Mac n Cheese is NOT CONSISTENT at Caseus. Throughout the year as the seasons change we change our Mac n Cheese, adding more chevre or more raclette as we see fit. Sometimes the nib ends and bits are different, this means the Mac n Cheese is as well. On any given time you may find the perfect Mac n Cheese combination for you, and although you'll search the rest of your life for it again and again it like your first kiss with 5th grade on the playground swings just may never be as extraordinary. It's the journey not the destination that the true epicure relishes.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Boil the orecchiette until slightly undercooked. Drain. Toss cooked pasta in a bowl with olive oil and set aside.
Slice the brioche thin and place on a cooking sheet. Place in low oven for 20 minutes or until dry. Remove, let cool, and crumble into small pieces. This will make more breadcrumbs than you need but making them from scratch makes all the difference. Cook's Note: Do not use something from a can that's been sitting around on some shelf for who knows how long.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Melt butter in a small pan. Whisk in flour until completely incorporated (no lumps). This is called a roux.
Crumble the chevre into small pieces, grate all other cheese.
In a small saucepot, bring milk to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add in the roux, whisking constantly, until the mixture returns to a boil. The mixture will thicken. Turn off the heat. You now have a bechamel sauce.
Add 3/4 of the cheese, whisking until melted and incorporated. Add freshly grated nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add sauce to the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Place in an oven-proof dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake 25 minutes, or until bubbling hot.
Top with bread crumbs and continue to bake 3 minutes. Remove from oven when you see things looking very oozy and bubbly.

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