Mac and cheese 2.0

Mac and cheese: Who didn’t grow up with it? Well, I certainly didn’t. Of course I knew what it was – the term leaves little to the imagination – but I only discovered this ultimate classic last year at Hawksmoor in London. Apparently I was one of the last, because mac and cheese is booming. And not just the classic variety.

We ordered it as a side dish alongside an enormous Porterhouse steak. Just for fun, because who orders macaroni and cheese in such a fancy place? We do. After the bacchanal, there were – besides a leftover half steak – five empty dishes on the table. There were three of us. Ashamed but satisfied, we paid the bill.

Prefab from Kraft

Since then, I’ve been slightly obsessed. And sometimes, very occasionally, I buy one of those prefab Kraft packets at the toko. Although, with a bit of luck, I’ll soon be able to get my fix at better Dutch restaurants too. Macaroni and cheese is totally the thing. At least in the US and the UK.

FavorFlav hero Anthony Bourdain is also a fan: “I always have elbow macaroni and cheese at home.”

An English study even shows that the likelihood of coming across it on a menu has increased by no less than 550 percent compared with 2010. FavorFlav hero Anthony Bourdain is also a fan: “I always have elbow macaroni and cheese at home.”

Reinvention

Although you might be in for a disappointment if you’re looking for the classic version. Because it’s not just experiencing a revival; a complete reinvention is underway. These days, you can encounter it in combinations as wild as you can imagine:

Mac and Cheetos

This must be the ultimate dream for cheese lovers, and especially for fans of Cheetos – you know, those crunchy cheese chips.

Jalapeño-Bacon Mac and Cheese

This pimped-up version is apparently so easy to make that you could even prepare it drunk. Adding it to the bucket list.

Mac and Cheese pancakes

Sometimes you need something crispy. With these Mac and Cheese Pancakes, you’re in exactly the right place.

Mac and Cheeseburger

Completely over the top and the most obvious variation on the theme: the Mac and Cheeseburger.

Granted: not every version looks equally appetizing. But you still want to try them all at least once, right?

Image credits: Burger King, J. Kenji López-Alt, Sara Remington, Alvin Zhou, Buzzfeed