Guy Fieri's Best Diner Dishes: Mac and Cheese

Oct. 29, 2008 — -- Fresh off his all-American road-tripping odyssey to research for his new book, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," Food Network star Guy Fieri stopped by "Good Morning America" to share some of the best recipes from across the nation.

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Yield: 8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes

Inactive prep time: 1 hourEase of preparation: Easy

Ingredients:

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. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third.

3. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9 by 13-inch 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.

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri, May 2008.

1 pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups cold milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 pound white Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces Romano cheese, shredded

4 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs, available at most markets)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook, whisking to make a paste (or roux), about 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Add the heavy cream, all three cheeses, the 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring, until the cheeses are fully melted.

4. Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and top with the panko crumbs. Bake the macaroni and cheese until hot and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Top with the fresh parsley. Serve.

Recipe courtesy "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," 2009. Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Costa Vanikiotis.