Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
½ cup butter divided, plus extra for buttering the dish
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk hot
2 cups shredded cheddar or gouda cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
Hot sauce to taste
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 ½ quart or larger casserole dish.
Bring 4 quarts and 1 tablespoon salt to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and cook until just al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain well. Do not overcook and do not rinse macaroni.
Return pot to stovetop. Over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter until foaming. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbling but not browned, about 1 minute.
Whisk in milk and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until melted.
Fold in macaroni and stir until uniformly combined. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce, if desired. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
In a medium bowl, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in microwave. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add breadcrumbs and toss until evenly coated.
Pour breadcrumbs over macaroni. Bake until sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs have browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
