The Most Sinful Mac n'Cheese

Last night my friends, Lary and Stacey, came over so we could spend some time together before Stacey moves back to California. I'm so sad about that, but very happy for Stacey.

Lary is famous for making the best comfort food, so I was excited to try his mac-n-cheese. He did not disappoint!!

His recipe is adapted from Guy Fieri's recipe for Mac Daddy Mac n'Cheese.

Lary's Best Ever Mac n'Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 shallots - chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound bacon - diced, cooked and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ - 1 teaspoon thyme (dried or fresh)
• 8 ounces pepper jack cheese – shredded
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
• 16 ounces of Velveeta cheese – cubed
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1 pound of elbow macaroni – cooked
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley (dried or fresh)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a stockpot add olive oil and chopped shallots, cook over low heat until clear
• Add garlic and stir for 1 minute until golden brown
• Add 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat and stir for an additional 1 minute
• Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for an additional 1 minute
• Whisk in heavy cream and thyme and reduce by 1 third
• Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened.
• Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste
• Add crumbled bacon for 1 minute
• Remove from heat and stir into pasta
• Let pasta sit and stir every few minutes until cheese becomes stiff and pasty
• Place in a 9”x12” casserole dish
• Mix together Panko, parsley and butter and crumble on top of Mac n'Cheese
• Bake covered until bubbling (approximately 45 minutes)
• Once Mac n'Cheese is bubbling, uncover and place under broiler until topping becomes browned and crisp

I don't even think I have the words to describe how good this was! Creamy, rich, smoky from the bacon, crunchy from the panko, just YUM! We each had 2 servings, and then enjoyed a little more the next morning.

Thanks, Lary!!