National Cheese Lovers Day

It's "National Cheese Lovers Day:" another made-up "holiday." Every day is cheese-lovers day around here.  Coincidentally, we're having Macaroni and Cheese for dinner.

Here's our favorite recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. We like the recipe because it doesn't call for precooking the pasta or making a white sauce. It's a recipe we adapted from this one.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese 

1 tablespoon butter

6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese (do not used aged Cheddar because it is too oily, and it will separate)

3 ounces Colby cheese

1 ounce Gruyère cheese

1 ounce Emmentaler or Swiss cheese

1 ounce Grand Cru® cheese (here, too)

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/16 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/16 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt (use more or less, depending on how salty the cheese is)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup full-fat cottage cheese

4 ounces Velvetta cheese, diced into chunks

8 ounces elbow pasta or medium shells pasta, uncooked

4 ounces reserved cheese mixture (see below)

Additional 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Use the 1 tablespoon butter to grease an 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

In the workbowl of a food processor with the grating disk in place, grate the Cheddar, Colby, Gruyère, Emmentaler, and Grand Cru® cheeses. Transfer grated cheeses to a large bowl. Mix cheeses together and set aside 4 ounces (1 cup) for the topping. (There is no need to wash the workbowl yet.)

In another large bowl, combine the milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper.

In the food processor, with the metal blade in place, purée the cottage cheese and the Velvetta cheese cubes. Transfer the puréed mixture to the bowl with the milk and seasonings. Using a wire whisk, stir the mixture well until the cottage cheese and Velvetta are thoroughly incorporated into the milk. 

Add the grated cheeses to the milk mixture and whisk again. Stir the uncooked pasta into the mixture. (Can be prepared ahead to this point; cover and refrigerate.)

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Uncover the baking dish and stir the mixture. Sprinkle the mixture with the remaining 4 ounces (1 cup) grated cheeses. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter evenly over the cheese. Return the baking dish, now uncovered, to the oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from oven and let casserole rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

ADDED: Do not use packaged, pre-shredded cheeses. Pre-shredded cheeses contain coatings (stabilizers and starches) that affect the texture and taste of this dish.