As a kid, my mom always cooked dinner at home from scratch, she wasn’t a fan of all the artificial colors and and flavors in packaged foods, and as a curious kid, I always wondered how other families ate. I’d get little glimpses of what meals were like on the other side when I’d hang out at a friends house. Forbidden treats like Twinkies and Cheetoh’s would would come out, and the twelve year old version of me was always a bit envious. I think the first time I had macaroni and cheese was when I was around eighteen. I was at a friends house, we got hungry, and he whipped out a box of Kraft, a can of hormel chili and some hot dogs to toss in as well. After leaving the nest for college, and left to my own devices (with an utter distrust of dorm food), Mac’n Cheese and I become good friends. Sometimes salsa would join in, while other times it would be bacon and chili. Like a drunken frat party, it was all fun and games until the hangover set in. I’ve moved on, and it’s been years since I’ve eyed that tall blue box filled with little pasta elbows and impossibly orange cheese powder, but away from my usual Whole Foods in NYC, I was lured by an endcap display at a local supermarket. I can’t really say I miss my college years, but I figured that if I were going to revisit my early twenties, I may as well do it right; and what better way to relive youthful collegiate exuberance than to take my old favorite and deep fry it?
📖 Recipe
