Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese

I was looking for the perfect mac n' cheese recipe to take to an Easter shindig, and I came across Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese recipe.  Boy am I glad I stumbled on this recipe.. so far everyone has liked it (that's 3 different families so far).  It's unique but not so unique that people think its weird and are afraid to try it.  

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese as seen on Foodnetwork.com

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.  Pan fry your bacon and reserve the bacon fat.

 Remove shallots and garlic from foil and chop.  

Saute in saucepan with bacon fat until tender (about 1 min).

 Add flour and stir for 1 minute. 

Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third.

 2 cups cheddar, 1 cup pepper jack

 Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. 

 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. 

 In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley.

 Pour mac n cheese into a casserole dish 

(I had halved the recipe in these pics, you'll want to use a 9x13)

 Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients

2 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound penne pasta, cooked

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp. melted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. 
3. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. 
4. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. 
5. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
6. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. 
7. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. 
8. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mac-daddy-mac-n-cheese-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Note from Mrs. Scales:  I've made this 3 times and have realized I prefer to chop the shallots before roasting with the garlic in the foil pouch.  Its kind of difficult and slippery to cut up after they are cooked.  :)