But if your mac isn’t browned enough on top, try the broiler trick to finish it.This Easy Baked Shrimp Mac & Cheese recipe has a fun seafood twist, plus a little kick. I had a nice brown crust form at 425 without the need of the broiler, maybe because I left it in a little longer. They recommended maybe cooking longer at a slightly lower temp like 400, and then forming the brown crust using your oven’s broiler setting. That crunchy browned top is important to the recipe it contrasts nicely with the creamy cheesy underneath. I saw in the postings I found for this recipe, and a few people who posted replies who tried this recipe, that the cooking temp and time specified in the episode did not result in a real nice brown crispy breadcrumb crust for them. I found that after 20 minutes the mac wasn’t hot enough in the center). Then layer the rest of the pasta/cheese mix on top, cover with shredded yellow cheddar (once again, the restaurant used shredded white cheddar here), and finally a layer of panko crumbs on top.īake in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (the chef on the DDD episode recommended 425 at 12 minutes, but he was cooking in a small single-serving size dish. After the first layer is in, add the slices of extra-sharp cheddar on top (the Clarkston Union video showed the chef using slices of Pinconning, so you can use that if you can find it). I used a porcelain dish that was approximately 8″ x 10″ x 3″ deep, and the amount of this recipe just happened to fit perfectly. Now add the first half of the pasta/cheese mix in a baking dish. I mixed the pasta up with a little olive oil so it wouldn’t stick together.Īlmost ready for the oven…just have to add the panko crumbs Serves 4-8, depending on how hungry they are and how much they dig the mac and cheeseīoil the penne pasta until al dente– make sure not to overcook, since it’s going to bake more in the oven. Not a heart-healthy dish by any means, but once in a while, hey, ya gotta live a little.ģ-4 Cloves Garlic, crushed in a garlic pressĦ Slices Cooked Bacon, cut into small piecesġ0-12 Slices Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (or Pinconning, that’s what the restaurant uses)Ģ cups Shredded Yellow Sharp Cheddar Cheeseġ cup Panko (Japanese-Style) Bread Crumbs And our kids, who are 7 and 10 and believe that the stuff that comes out of the box with the neon orange powder is the pinnacle of great mac and cheese making, actually really liked this. Of course, this doesn’t have to be a side dish- it could easily stand out on its own as a main dish. So don’t leave the nutmeg out if you find it to be an odd ingredient like I did at first. But it really makes a difference– it’s the secret ingredient that really makes it special (other than the massive quantities of cheese and heavy cream).
It seemed like an odd ingredient for mac and cheese. One last note– I was a little surprised to see the nutmeg in the recipe list. The reason I used a couple different cheeses was mostly due to availability, but in future mac and cheese experiments I’d like to try out more different types of cheese. The bacon was just my effort to really knock my mac and cheese out of the park. I leaned most heavily on this guy’s recipe, so I give him props: Triple D in the ‘D’ Most Macked Mac & Cheese! I changed a few things– I added finely chopped bacon, and I used a little different mix of cheeses than the recipes I found online and in the video of the Kid Rock episode of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. I searched online to see if anyone had tried to reproduce the Clarkston Union recipe, and my recipe is a combo of the few I found.
So our friends who came over were guinea pigs for my first mac and cheese trial effort– and they weren’t disappointed. I’m planning to have a barbeque later this summer where I want to reproduce the Union Woodshop menu as much as possible–with pulled pork, ribs, and a few sides like collard greens, slow-cooked smoky beans… and the mac and cheese. That’s where the Clarkston Union mac and cheese was created, and Kid Rock’s favorite, most mackinest mac and cheese, was the featured item in this episode. Along with your main choice of pulled pork, ribs or beef brisket you get two sides– and one of the side options is their legendary mac & cheese.Īn episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network had Kid Rock taking host Guy Fieri to one of his favorite restaurants, the Clarkston Union, which has the same owners as the Union Woodshop just down the street. there’s often several hour waits for a table there– even at 5 pm on a weekday. There’s a restaurant called the Union Woodshop in Clarkston, Michigan that serves fantastic barbeque. But I’ve been wanting to try something special for a side dish. We had some friends over on the 4th of July yesterday, and I barbecued some marinated pork tenderloin.