This week's work · 2026-08-16
The macaroni and cheese with the good crust
A shallow cast-iron skillet, a sharp cheese sauce, and the browned-butter sourdough crumbs that make everyone reach for the edge.
Marlowe wanted macaroni and cheese with a proper top: pale gold in the middle, darker at the edges, and enough crunch that the spoon makes a little noise when it goes in. Tate wanted the sauce to stay smooth instead of turning into a stiff block the minute it left the oven. We gave both requests a shallow cast-iron skillet and a little room around the pasta.
The sauce starts with sharp cheddar and Gruyère, plus a spoonful of Dijon that disappears into the cheese and leaves the flavor less sleepy. We boiled the elbows just shy of done, stirred them through the sauce, and scattered browned-butter sourdough crumbs over the top. The crumbs are irregular on purpose. Perfect gravel is not a kitchen virtue.
The skillet goes into a hot oven until the edges hiss and the center is still soft. A brief turn under the broiler darkens the crust without drying the middle, so a spoonful can catch some deep-gold edge and the soft, saucy part underneath. This is why we made the pan shallow. There is more good top that way.
It is still macaroni and cheese, which is the point. Nothing needs explaining at the table. Put down a green salad if you want to feel organized, then watch the bronzed edge disappear first.
There is more good top when the pan is shallow.
The recipe
Crisp-Edged Macaroni and Cheese with Browned-Butter Sourdough Crumbs
A shallow-baked macaroni and cheese with a sharp cheddar–Gruyère sauce, a little Dijon, and browned-butter sourdough crumbs for a proper golden crust.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups coarse sourdough breadcrumbs
Perishable
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
- 4 ounces Gruyère, grated
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain it well; do not rinse.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sourdough breadcrumbs and stir until they are crisp, unevenly golden, and smell nutty, 3–4 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and stir in the parsley.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and evaporated milk. Add the Dijon, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then simmer, whisking, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon, about 4 minutes.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time until smooth. Fold in the drained macaroni until every elbow is coated. Spread it into an even layer and cover the surface with the browned-butter crumbs.
- Bake until the edges are bubbling and the center is hot, about 15 minutes. Broil for 1–2 minutes, watching closely, until the crumbs are deep gold. Rest 5 minutes before serving; the sauce will settle without losing its softness.
