Girl Scout Cookie Crunch: Recipe for Shortbread Bacon Mac & Cheese
Tickets for fundraising event benefiting ArtsQuest and Girl Scouts on sale now
What’s better than bacon mac & cheese? Bacon mac & cheese topped with Girl Scout cookies!
At the 3rd Annual Girl Scout Cookie Crunch, Feb. 26, at SteelStacks, ArtsQuest Executive Chef Michael Hoffman will prepare bacon macaroni and cheese topped with Girl Scout Shortbreads®. Try this unique recipe at home!
Bacon Macaroni and Cheese topped with Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
1 pound Cavatapi Pasta
1 gal water, boiling
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Salted Butter
1 large Shallot minced
½ Sweet onion minced
¼ cup minced garlic
1 pound bacon lardons, bacon cut into small pieces (match stick width)
On medium high heat, melt butter and sweat the onions, garlic and shallots, add bacon. By the time the bacon is done the onions and garlic mix should be caramelized. Turn the heat down to a low medium. Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 Qt Heavy Cream
1 lb Smoked Gouda Cheese (hand shredded)
1 lb White American Cheese (tear into quarters while adding to cream)
Add Cream to the above onion mix. Once the cream is starting to come to a roll (do not allow the cream to boil over) start adding small amounts of the smoked Gouda and whisking using a wire whisk once each batch is melted add more cheese. Once all the Gouda is in the mix add American cheese one slice at a time until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
1 box Girl Scout Shortbread Cookies (crumbled, one sleeve at a time)
6 oz Salted butter, melted
Sauté the crumbled cookies in the Melted butter (this will stop the cookies from burning while baked)
1. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain.
2. On medium high heat, melt butter and sweat the onions, garlic and shallots, add bacon by the time the bacon is done the onions and garlic mix should be caramelized. Turn the heat down to a low medium.
3. Add Cream to the above onion mix, once the cream is starting to come to a roll (do not allow the cream to boil over) start adding small amounts of the Smoked Gouda and whisking using a wire whisk once each batch is melted add more cheese. Once all the Gouda is in the mix add American cheese one slice at a time till the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Pour over macaroni and mix carefully. Scale into one greased 12 x 20 x 2-in baking pan.
5. Mix crumbs and 6 oz salted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese. Cover with Parchment paper (waxed paper will work) then in aluminum foil.
6. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until 160°F. Remove the foil and paper and bake until top is golden brown
Try this amazing dish and more at the 3rd Annual Girl Scout Cookie Crunch. During this fun filled event, attendees can sample culinary creations from more than 15 restaurants, as well as vote for their favorites in People’s Choice ‘sweet’ and ‘savory’ categories.
New this year, ages 18 and under can also vote for the winner of the Kid’s Choice Award. Each dish will feature one or more of the Girl Scout Cookie brands: Thin Mints®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Caramel deLITES®, Shortbreads®, Lemonades®, Peanut Butter Sandwiches®, Thanks-A-Lots® and Gluten-Free Trios®. Also available are signature cocktails including a Lemonade Martini and Thin-Mintini.
Other Cookie Crunch participants and a sample of their offerings include:
- 29 Cooks Catering and Culinary Center – Sweet BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese and Strawberry Shortcake Cream Cheese Bites
- ArtsQuest Center Culinary Team, Bethlehem – Bacon Macaroni and Cheese topped with Shortbread Cookies
- Bell Hall, Allentown
- Bethlehem Dairy Store, Bethlehem – S’mores & Cream and Lemon Chiffon Crunch
- Centro, Allentown – Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi with Lemonades® Cookies coated in a Sage Infused Butter
- The Dime, Allentown – Kabocha Squash Gelato with Coconut Mole and Caramel deLITES®
- Emeril’s Chop House, Bethlehem – Strawberry Crème Domes
- Forks Mediterranean Deli, Easton – Fig and Walnut Cookies using Shortbreads
- Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, Allentown
- Iron Lakes Country Club, Orefield – Caribbean Chicken Meatball, with Roasted Tomato Sauce with Caramel deLITES®
- Papa’s Cupcakes, Perkasie – Caramel deLITES® Cupcakes
- Shankara Vegan Restaurant, Bethlehem
- The Steel Pub, Bethlehem – Brownie Cheesecake Bar with S’mores and Shortbread Cookies
- Trixie’s Treats, Allentown – Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Vince’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Allentown