Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

I think this is just about the best homemade Mac N Cheese ever! That blue box stuff almost ruined Macaroni and Cheese for me for life until I had some good stuff at a restaurant. It was like gourmet Macaroni and Cheese, no joke. So we went looking for a recipe that would do the humble dish some justice. Now when I have a little extra time to make dinner, and I'm searching out comfort food, I bake this (modified from a Barefoot Contessa recipe). What is your favorite comfort food?

Ingredients:

• salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
  
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
  
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups prepared bread crumbs (I use Panko)
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
Makes enough to feed my family for two meals.