I made Ina Garten’s ‘grown-up’ mac and cheese. It’s an easy Thanksgiving side dish that everyone will love.

To make Garten’s “grown-up” mac and cheese for four, you’ll need:

• 4 cups of elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 4 slices of white sandwich bread
• 8 ounces of Gruyère cheese, grated
• 6 ounces of extra-sharp cheddar, grated
• 4 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled (Garten recommends Roquefort)
• 8 ounces of thick-sliced bacon
• 3 cups of milk
• 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg

I arranged my bacon on a sheet pan in one layer. Garten recommends placing a baking rack over the sheet pan, but I didn’t have one, so I just lined mine with aluminum foil to avoid making a greasy mess.

I cooked my bacon for 15 minutes, until the strips turned crisp, then transferred them to a plate lined with a paper towel.

I sliced the crusts off my sandwich bread, cut each slice into smaller pieces, and roughly chopped my basil.

Then, I threw my pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water, letting it cook for around six minutes. I opted for cavatappi over elbow macaroni because I believe it’s better at carrying the ooey-gooey sauce of a great mac and cheese.

Once my noodles were al dente, I drained them and set them aside.

If you’re making this for Thanksgiving, just recruit some family members to help!

After a few pulses, my breadcrumbs were ready!

Garten kept her bacon pieces pretty chunky while demonstrating this recipe on an episode of “Barefoot Contessa,” so I did the same.

I heated the milk in a small saucepan, making sure not to boil it.

I added the butter to a pot set over medium-low heat.

I stirred the butter and flour together over low heat for two minutes.

“This cooked butter and flour is going to act as a thickener for the sauce,” Garten explained during the episode.

Garten says you should cook the sauce for about one or two more minutes, until it’s thickened and looks smooth.

“It’s not incredibly thick, but what it does is it just coats the spoon,” she added.

Garten recommends adding one teaspoon of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg.

“It’s a really classic spice that’s used in gratins,” Garten says in the episode. “You won’t know it’s there, but it’ll make everything taste better.”

I gave everything a good stir as a delicious cheesy scent filled my kitchen.

Garten used individual gratin dishes while making this on “Barefoot Contessa” since she was only making it for herself and her husband, Jeffrey.

Since I doubled the recipe to make dinner for my family, I used a 12-inch casserole dish, which was the perfect size.

I didn’t use all of the breadcrumbs because I had already fully covered the top, but my family later said they wished there had been more — so I recommend using every last crumb!

If you’re planning to make Garten’s “grown-up” mac and cheese the day before, just throw your dish into the fridge overnight and bake it right before you want to serve it.

While reading reviews of Garten’s recipe on the Food Network’s website, I saw that many people said their mac and cheese had turned dry after baking it for the recommended amount of time. They suggested baking the pasta for 25 minutes or less.

I checked my mac and cheese at the 20-minute mark and saw the breadcrumbs were already starting to brown. At the 25-minute mark, they were beautifully golden, so I took my dish out of the oven.

Not all ovens are made equal, so check your mac and cheese as you go.

The sound of the bubbling sauce was so satisfying that I couldn’t resist taking a few videos of it.

My family watched with excitement as I dug my spoon through the breadcrumbs and pulled up a scoop of ooey-gooey noodles. Dinner couldn’t come soon enough!

My parents and sister were huge fans of Garten’s mac and cheese.

The texture is velvety rather than cloying, and I loved the balance of flavor between the Gruyère, cheddar, and blue cheeses. The Roquefort adds a bit of tang, so if you’re making this for someone who really dislikes blue cheese, maybe only use half so you’re still getting the depth that it adds. Personally, I’m not a huge blue cheese fan, but I didn’t find it overpowering.

I also loved how the smoky bacon cut through the cheesiness — I’d even recommend throwing in an extra slice or two. The crunchy breadcrumbs on top were also a huge hit, adding a lovely contrast to the creamy noodles underneath (definitely don’t skimp on them).

I think the flavors of Garten’s mac and cheese are perfect for a holiday side and would pair well with turkey. We even enjoyed eating it as a main course for dinner.

If you’re looking for a great traditional Thanksgiving dish with a twist, Garten’s “grown-up” mac and cheese is a great pick.