One humid June night, a very hungry, pregnant web team leader ventured into the kitchen to satisfy her macaroni and cheese craving, and although it's easy, macaroni an cheese out of a box can be mushy and lacking flavor. The boxed stuff wouldn't work this evening.

Tonight called for a home baked macaroni, and lots of it for leftover mac and cheese cravings. In addition, those leftovers had to reheat well. There is nothing a pregnant web team leader hates more than crunchy, overheated macaroni and cheese.

That’s when two of her favorite chefs saved her—a recipe revised by Deb at SmittenKitchen.com that happened to be from her favorite celebrity chef Martha Stewart’s cookbook.

She, her whisk, and her belly got to work. They grated cheese, created bread crumbs for topping, and poured that creamy Gruyere, white cheddar mixture right into some traditional elbow macaroni noodles. Cayenne pepper and nutmeg add a smoky sweet flavor that compliments the cheeses perfectly.

The end result? Totally reheatable macaroni and cheese nirvana.

Perfectly Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Amazing the first time, amazing the next day, amazing the day after the next day... you get where we're going, right? This recipe serves 12, or 1 person 12 times.

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
• 6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium mixing bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

KaTom wants to know your favorite version of macaroni and cheese. Leave us your comments and opinions.