Mac Daddy N Cheese Food

MAC DADDY N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil macaroni noodles until tender (not al dente). Rinse cooked noodles with cold water. Set aside.
• In a heavy skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add flour to make a roux (see Tips & Techniques below).
• Lower temperature to medium-low and stir mixture continuously until golden, nutty, and smooth. Be careful not to scorch.
• Add fat-free milk slowly while stirring. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar and keep stirring. Do not allow the mixture to boil or your cheese sauce will "break." Add 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese and keep stirring. Sauce will be thickened and smooth.
• Turn off the heat on the stove, and turn on your broiler.
• Add cooked macaroni noodles to cheese sauce and fold to coat noodles. Incorporate 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese into cheese sauce coated noodles. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Stop here for a "stove top" style, or continue to next step if you prefer a baked style.
• Broil until top is golden brown and crispy.

MAC DADDY MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• 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. Remove from foil and chop. In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

MAC-DADDY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make a little open topped pouch of aluminum foil and place the shallots and garlic in there with a pinch of salt and a bit of olive oil.
• Roast this for 30-45 min or until tender and just starting to brown.
• While that is roasting, place the Thyme in a 2 quart saucepan and pour the Heavy Cream on top of it. Place over Medium heat. **Make sure this does not boil, we only want to get it nice and hot.
• Once the garlic and shallots are done, chop them up and set aside.
• Reheat the bacon fat in a large saute pan and add the garlic and shallots.
• Saute for 1 Minute.
• Add Flour and stir for 1 minute.
• Grab the Thyme with a pair of tongs and throw it away. Then, pour the hot cream into your large saute pan.
• Reduce this mixture by about 1/3.
• Now, stir in your cheeses until the sauce is thick and creamy.
• Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
• Remove from heat and stir in the Pasta.
• Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the Bacon, Parsley and Panko over the top.
• Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of everything and bake uncovered until lightly browned and bubbly (about 20-25 min).

THE MAC DADDY OF ALL MAC N' CHEESES

Steps:

• Butter 1 quart square baking dishes with two tbsp of butter. Cook the pasta for 2 min less than the package directions suggest, about 6-8 min; drain and return it to the pot.
• In a small saute pan, melt 2 tbs of butter. Add cracker and bread crumbs. Stir until crumbs have fully absorbed the butter. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, mix together parsley, french fried onions and Parmesan cheese. Add cooled crumb mixture. Set aside.
• Crisp up bacon in a large pot. Remove bacon pieces with a spoon and set aside. Pour off all drippings.
• Heat a tbs of olive oil to a medium sized sauce pot. Saute onions and mushrooms until unions are tender, about 3-mins. Add garlic stirring often until softened. Remove from pan and return pan to heat. Melt remaining butter in same pot over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over butter and cook 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking until a roux or paste forms. Add cold milk and whisk vigorously until dissolved. Cook sauce on medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. Add heavy cream, all cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until cheeses are fully melted, stirring occasionally.
• To the sauce, add the mushroom mixture, pasta and crispy bacon; stir to combine well. Mixture will be slightly wet. Divide evenly into prepared baking dishes and sprinkle with cracker topping.
• You can freeze this to prepare later on. Just cover completed unbaked mac n' cheese with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, let thaw overnight in frig. Remove plastic wrap then re-cover with foil, and bake at 350F until heated through, about 50-55 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until top is golden, 5-10 minutes.
• To bake immediately: Bake at 350F until golden brown.