Excerpt: Chrissy Teigen's Cravings

When we asked the winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Cookbook for a great recipe, we didn't know it would ignite such competition between chef and author Chrissy Teigan (whom you may also know as a model and Lip Sync Battle cohost) and her husband, singer John Legend.

We don't like taking sides, but this side dish from Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat sounds like a winner. Here's the recipe for Teigen's mac and cheese, along with more on that friendly competition:

"This is MY mac and cheese, dammit. Everyone is always asking, begging John to make his mac and cheese, and if I may be frank here for a moment: I DON'T GET IT.

I will admit I like it, too, but I prefer a creamy, saucy mac. Mac and cheese that you give your friends to take home in Tupperware, not sliced and wrapped in foil like a brick.

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OK, so maybe I'm bitter. Every single time he makes his mac and cheese, people lose it, like he literally invented mac and cheese. Why? It's because he is a brilliant, handsome, kind, wonderful f*cking human being who is incredibly talented and famous, who happens to make a good mac and cheese? It's one more talent, and whoa we did not see this coming. AMAZE.

I'm sorry, John. I love you so, so much, and you are absolutely perfect. My dream man. You write songs about me, love me endlessly, you clean, you help me unpack, and you are a wonderful dog father.

But my mac is better."

View all the Goodreads Choice Awards winners and runners-up across 20 categories »

CHRISSY'S MAC AND CHEESE WITH CHEESY GARLIC BREAD CRUMBS
SERVES 8 TO 12
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
Kosher salt
1 pound pasta shells
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cups grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
3/4 pound orange American cheese (about 16 slices)
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Cheesy Garlic Bread Crumbs (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta a minute less than called for on the package. Drain, rinse, and toss with the oil to prevent sticking.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a little butter.

In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the 1 stick butter over medium-high heat until melted but not browning. Add the flour and cook, constantly whisking, until it turns a light and toasty brown color, 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually add the milk while whisking, then increase the heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking, until it thickens, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cheeses, a few handfuls/slices at a time, reserving a handful of the cheese, and whisk the sauce until smooth. Whisk in 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the cayenne.

Stir in the cooked pasta, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and cook until the pasta is hot again.

Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and spread the bread crumbs evenly over the top. Bake until the topping is browned and crisp, about 8 minutes.

CHEESY GARLIC BREAD CRUMBS
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
PREP TIME: 5 minutes TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
8 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
6 cloves garlic
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a food processor, process the bread until it forms fine crumbs (you should have about 4 cups crumbs). Transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Add the garlic to the processor and process until finely minced (or do it by hand).

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-low heat. When it foams, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic smells great but hasn't browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bread crumbs, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until toasty and browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and transfer to a large plate to cool for 5 minutes. Toss in the Parm.