Mac and cheese with bacon in the oven

Ingredients:

• 2 shallots, peeled
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 strips bacon, diced, fried (reserve 1 tablespoon rendered fat)
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 450 g of cooked penne pasta
• 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Wrap the shallots and garlic in a small foil packet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Remove the shallots and garlic from the foil and finely chop.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the rendered bacon fat. Add the roasted shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream and thyme. Reduce the sauce by a third. Stir in the cheese until melted and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the sauce from the heat and gently fold in the macaroni. Transfer the mac and cheese to a 9 x 13-inch casserole.
3. In a small bowl, combine diced bacon, panko breadcrumbs, butter, and parsley. Sprinkle with the mac and cheese topping and bake, uncovered, at the same temperature until the sauce is bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.