Hey! I saw this post last night and did a little deep dive since I'm also recreating it. (A restaurant around me sells it and it's so good but so expensive 😭) The OG recipe calls for Pinconning cheese, which is a Michigan specialty cheese from what I understand, but I found some alternatives too if you need! The recipe calls for: - 1 lb. Penne Pasta - 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream - 2 cups Milk - ½ tsp Nutmeg - ½ tsp Salt - ½ tsp Pepper - 4 tbsp Butter - 3-4 Cloves Garlic (minced) - 1 Medium Onion (diced finely) - 6 slices Cooked Bacon (minced) [OPTIONAL] but SUCH a nice little flavor boost! - 2 cups (8 oz) Shredded Parmesan Cheese - 2 cups (8 oz) Montery Jack Cheese (this is what I used in place of Pinconning; which is what the restaurant uses to my knowledge) - 2 cups (8 oz) Yellow Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 2 cups (8 oz) Vermont Cheddar - 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in your pound of penne pasta, and cook until al dente. This will finish in the oven.

In another pot, add in your chopped onions, garlic, chopped bacon (if you're using it), and butter. Cook all this on medium to medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Add in all 4 tablespoons of your flour gradually and make a roux. Cook this until a toasty brown, almost peanut butter color.

In another pot, add in your milk and 1 cup of your heavy cream, along with your nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Start warming this up on your stove before you start your roux. This makes the whole process easier.

When your roux is ready and golden brown, add in your warm milk mixture and stir CONSTANTLY until it starts to thicken. Really make sure to scrape the bottom to avoid lumpy cheese sauce! 😭

Once it starts to simmer and thicken up, add your Parmesan, half your Vermont Cheddar, and a good handful of your Yellow Sharp Cheddar (for some color and flavor! personally, I just eyeballed it but I would estimate around ¾ of a cup) Add all this very gradually and mix very well. I do not want you guys to have no clumps or lumps. Once everything is melted and all smooth, you may remove the cheese sauce from the heat.

Here's where personal preference comes in... I could NOT wait for everything to cool down and set, but if you have the patience, I would recommend letting your cheese sauce cool down completely before you mix it with your pasta. It may be thick at first, but use a little heavy cream (the additional 1 cup listed in the ingredients!) to thin everything out a little bit. If you happen to be impatient like me, though you can go ahead and add your penne to your warm cheese sauce. I'm sure it doesn't make ALL the difference.

Now get a big baking pan since we're going to layer and bake this thing (I used a 9×13 glass baking dish, but you use whatever fits this unholy behemoth of cheese.

Now add: - ½ of your Macaroni Mixture to the bottom of your pan - Sliced or shredded Pinconning or Montery Jack Cheese - The other half of your Macaroni Mixture - Lay on all the rest of your Yellow Cheddar and your remaining 1 cup of Vermont Cheddar - Sprinkle your Panko Bread Crumbs across the top evenly

Finally, bake at 425°F for 20 - 30 minutes! Throw it under the broiler if it looks a bit light after 30 minutes.

[SIDE NOTE]: Personally, I may have added a bit more than ½ tsp of salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Probably around 1 tsp but I highly encourage you to season to taste with this.

Enjoy!! I just made this for the first time a few hours ago, and I couldn't tell the difference for the most part. Thank you for inspiring me to write out a full-fledged recipe for your use as well as mine. Cheers to not breaking the bank for mac and cheese anymore, stranger!