Four Cheese Fatty Mac-N-Cheese!

Cheesy, warm goodness and all is right with the world.  No matter how old the kid in me becomes, I light up at the thought, sight, smell, and taste of this, the ultimate comfort food.

You can play around with the cheeses pick four you like, four you're in the mood for that particular day and enjoy!

1 stick of butter 
1 shallot,  minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-n-half
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning - (recommended: Zatarains or Emeril's Essence)
Dash of Hot Sauce - (recommended Louisiana Hot Sauce or Frank's Red Hot Sauce)
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 cup grated Cheddar
4 ounces Gruyere cheese
4 ounces Asiago cheese
1 (16-ounce) box elbow macaroni
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an oven-safe casserole dish.

Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions or until just al dente.

While macaroni is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of  butter in a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add minced shallots and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour. Slowly, whisk in the half-n-half. When half-n-half incorporated into the roux, bring up to a low bubble and simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.  You're making a bechemel sauce. Remove saucepan from heat, stir in hot sauce and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Stir until cheese is completely melted and set aside.

Once macaroni is cooked, drain and return macaroni to the pot.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the crushed garlic to the macaroni.  Toss the macaroni in the pot until the butter is completely melted.

Combine the remaing cheeses - all but 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the Cajun seasoning.  Set both bowls aside.

Stir cheese mixture into cooked macaroni and thoroughly combined.  Place half of the macaroni in the casserole dish and top with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture.
Sprinkle bread crumb and Cajun seasoning mixture over the top of the macaroni, then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the bread crumb mixture.  Optional, you can place small pats of butter over the top of the Parmesan cheese.
Place in preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

5 minutes seems like a life time, sigh!