Martha Stewart's "Perfect Macaroni and Cheese"

Good afternoon!

It has been quite a while since my last post, but now I am ready to get back into it.

I have had quite a life change happen recently - moving from Kansas to South Florida.  Why did I make such a move?  When I vacationed in Ft. Lauderdale with a former co-worker, I just knew I had to be in Florida.  I love the heat, the ocean, the sand, the palm trees, etc.  Within a seven month time frame, I made it happen.  I could not be happier with the decision.  It is still an adjustment, but it is becoming easier as the days go by.

Now, onto the recipe!  I was wanting a dinner I could make that would last for more than one day and would stretch into one-two lunches, as well.  Usually, a dinner made in a 9x13 pan (like a casserole) will last more than one meal.  With just feeding two people, I knew this was the way to go.

I remember coming across the following recipe a while back, and I figured I would give it a shot.

http://www.marthastewart.com/271998/perfect-macaroni-and-cheese

I do love macaroni and cheese, and I have made a few from-scratch ones before.  This recipe would be a new one to me.

I made the recipe almost exactly as described on the link.  I have read in many cookbooks that the first time you try a recipe, it is strongly recommended that you make it exactly as listed.  The subsequent times you make it, you can add your own spin.  I don't follow that rule quite often, especially when a recipe calls for onions, but that is its own story.

For instance, with the recipe on the link, I used store-bought breadcrumbs (whole wheat).  I just poured about 3/4 cup (I was eyeballing it) into a small bowl and poured over the 2 tbsp of melted butter into the breadcrumbs, mixed it and set it aside.  Conversely, I imagine you can just pour the breadcrumbs (without the melted butter incorporated) over the top layer of cheese and cut the 2 tbsp into small portions and spread them evenly over the breadcrumbs. 

Also, I used Gruyere because I love the flavor of it, and I used whole grain pasta. 

Overall, I liked the finished product, but I felt it was a bit heavy.  I'm not sure how to alter the recipe without compromising its original integrity.  However, I will definitely make it again and try to do something with it the next time.