7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
nutmeg, freshly grated, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups grated White Cheddar cheese (about 6 oz)
1 1/2 cups grated Gouda or Swiss cheese (about 6 oz)
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 oz)
1 cup Panko* bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 3- to 4-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.
In a heavy saucepan melt 6 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Add sherry, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
In a kettle of salted boiling water cook macaroni until just al dente, about 7 minutes, and drain well. In a large bowl stir together macaroni, sauce, Cheddar, Gouda or Swiss, and 1 cup Parmesan and transfer to prepared dish.
In a small bowl stir together bread crumbs and remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, melted remaining tablespoon butter and sprinkle evenly over macaroni.
Bake macaroni in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. If at the end of this cooking time the breadcrumb topping isn't golden, place under the broiler until desired results are achieved.
Serves 6 to 8 as entrée or 8 to 10 as a side dish.
*Panko can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets
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