I do a copycat recipe of the famous mac & cheese from the Clarkston Union, a restaurant in Clarkston, Michigan. Their M&C was featured on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’. Whenever I make it when friends and family are over it’s a huge hit.
Have about 2 cups of milk and one cup of heavy cream heating in a pan on the stove, but not to boiling.
Sauté finely diced onion and garlic in 4 tablespoons of butter. Add 4 tablespoons of flour, give or take, to make a roux. Slowly mix in the hot milk / cream mixture. Add a 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in about 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese.
You’re supposed to let the mixture cool, but I don’t know how much that matters. Anyway, in the meantime, boil penne noodles to al dente or even a little before al dente, since they will cook more in the oven. Drain and mix the noodles with the sauce.
Now, in a large pan, add half the noodle / sauce mix, and layer with cheese on top. What kinds of cheese is where I change it up each time. On the DD&D show they used a mix of Pinconning and aged white cheddar. Add the second layer of the noodle mix and more cheese on top, then finally a layer of panko crumbs for a nice crunchy top. Bake at 400-425 for 40 minutes or so, keeping an eye that the panko top is browning but not burning,