let’s start out with the fact that I don’t advocate drug use other than currently prescribed ones by medical professionals.  I mean, let’s face the facts, Z is a super user of a strange one found in a mushroom grown on a mountain in Japan. But in general, I don’t advocate for the use of the illegal ones, including but not limited to crack.  However, we make a special species of macaroni and cheese that is really known around our house as crack n cheese.  It’s so great you can barely contain yourself. It is derived from a recipe somehow gleaned from reading serious eats and clicking links discussing Martha Stewart and Ina Garten’s recipes.  This one is a half version based on Ina Garten’s recipe.  We make one add and one substitution to her original recipe cause we like the heat and panko are our go-to breadcrumbs.

Crack N Cheese

1/2 # macaroni -we use Barilla Elbows
2 cups milk
1/4 c flour – a loose scoop
3 T butter

6 oz Gruyere (we usually use about 8 oz)
8 oz Cheddar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
4 T butter

boil noodles per package directions in liberally salted water while you…  Melt 3 T butter.  Whisk in flour.  Whisk in milk.  Grate and add cheese, and cayenne.  Stirring until smooth.  Pour into a 8 X 10 or so baking dish.
Melt the rest of the butter in a small frying pan and mix in the panko.  Spread over top of the noodle mixture.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Eat.  Probably with a little bit of weedy salad (spring mix) with a bit of balsamic and olive oil splashed on top.

This ain’t your blue box Kraft dinner.