If you're a fan of easy to make dishes that everyone likes but get tired of the same old boring flavor, check this out! I usually have about 20-30 minutes to prepare dinner, so for this I keep the main process as simple as it gets, it's the seasoning that makes the difference! 

• If you are used to making home-made mac and cheese you can start with that base dish, but for the purposes of whipping this up in 10 minutes or less, I start with a box of you-guessed-it, Kraft Cheese and Macaroni. Though the original style is clearly the best, white cheddar works best for this. If you have more time than I do, I suggest throwing out the elbow pasta in the box and boiling a medium penne or shells for 8 minutes or to your liking. (The texture of these types of pasta holds sauce alot better than smooth elbows) I boil the pasta in 1/2 tsp of parsley and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
• Drain the cooked pasta as usual, return pasta to pot, add the 1/4 cup of milk and 4 tbs of butter, still business as usual, pour in the "cheese" mixture, and THEN things get interesting.
• Stir in one tablespoon of dijon mustard and then hit the pot with 4-5 shakes (about 1/2 tsp) of Tabasco.
• Add 1/2 tsp of Chili 3000 (ancho chili powder, garlic, cumin, onion, cilantro, paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon peel, mexican oregano, black pepper, citric acid, natural smoke flavor, jalapeno pepper)
• Add 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
• Add 1 tsp white vinegar
• Serve with grated Vermont extra sharp white cheddar over the top and you're done! 
• Bonus points: If you have the time, pour the final mixture into a small casserole dish and then top with the grated cheese and some panko and bake at 400º for 10-15 minutes or to desired level of crustacean-ness. 

::about the author::

Brendon is a photographer in the Birmingham area, available worldwide for nearly any project or event. Visit his main website (linked below) to see his portfolio, resume, bio or to get in contact. Add this blog to your RSS feed and "like" his Facebook Fan page to receive fresh photos and content. 

Brendon Pinola Photography 2013

American Pictoralist  |  Storyteller