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Redneck Mac and Cheese



A truly unfortunate name, but that is what the woman who made it for me called it so I am sticking with it.

My freshman year in college, one of my friends invited me to spend the weekend with her. We had a great time, including a night on the town. The next day, her mother took one look at us, whipped a box of Kraft mac and cheese out of the cupboard and made this dish for us. I have not thought of it in over a quarter of a century but, for some reason, it came back to me recently which is why it appeared on this week's menu. Her version included jarred pickled jalapeño slices, a diced tomato, avocado and crushed tortilla chips.

I don't consider myself a food snob, though there are certain things at which I draw the line, among them Kraft mac and cheese and hot avocado. I therefore have revised what my friend's mother obviously considered prime hangover food. My version had al dente elbow pasta stirred into in a sharp cheddar Bechamel that I had bulked up with shallot, Worcestershire and mustard, fresh jalapeño quick pickled in red wine vinegar, tomato, and crushed Fritos.

I don't think I will be making it again, nor posting the recipe, but it was somehow the perfect steaming dish of carbohydrate overload to eat while watching the snow fall outside.

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