This is the 3rd time I've been assigned to feed the band -- 90 Miles From Vegas - before a really big show, as my son Jeremy and his friends Jordan and Andrew have yet another gig lined up at the Blind Pig, TONIGHT at 9:30, and they require sustenance for lugging equipment and putting on an amazing performance. (They've been practicing in my basement, so I can personally attest - with absolute objectivity! - to how good they sound!)

I received a personal request for tonight's pre-show dinner, and so naturally obliged: Macaroni and Cheese, loaded with bacon. No, it's not health food - I think this is even worse for the arteries than the Chanukkah latkes were! But it's what they want, and it's something that will warm up well - since they'll be doing their final rehearsal while I'm at work, it's been pre-made for them to enjoy at their convenience. I had actually sent this recipe in to a Paula Deen contest, presuming that there was enough fat and salt - not to mention Cheetos! - in it to win a hefty prize ... alas, my loathing for her "y'all"s and the lack of nutritional content of her entire repertoire probably tagged along for the ride and my hypocrisy defeated me!

Macaroni and cheese is not difficult to make from scratch, and the stuff that comes in those blue boxes (that we all still seem to have a perverse fondness for!) just can't compare to the real thing. While the water is boiling to cook the macaroni, simply melt some butter, stir in some flour, add milk and LOTS of cheese ... and still more cheese. Then stir in the crumbled bacon and pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Et, voilà! I don't bake my macaroni and cheese, which only dries it out; and one of the glories of mac 'n' cheese, after all, is its creaminess. Just pour it "as is" into a serving dish and relish the compliments.

Please feel free to join my friends and me at the show tonight - the doors open at 9:30; cover is $8 for 18 and up, $5 for 21 and up. Then you'll be able to say, "I knew 90 Miles From Vegas back when ...." And many thanks to Adam Rey of Ann Arbor's own 107one fm, who apparently played several of the band's songs on his Homegrown show one Sunday night (but we missed it, 'cause we didn't know it would be on!).

Jeremy, Andrew and Jordan - best of luck tonight!!!

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

2 pounds macaroni 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 3 cups milk 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 8 ounces Colby cheese, shredded 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped 1 cup Cheetos, ground into crumbs

Bring a stockpot full of salted water to a boil; add macaroni and cook according to package directions, then drain.

Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until everything clumps up; then very slowly whisk in the milk, making sure the mixture is smooth before each addition. Bring not quite to a boil over medium-high heat (small bubbles will appear across the top), then turn the heat to medium-low and whisk in the salt, pepper, seasoned salt and mustard. Add the cheese by handfuls, whisking until smooth with each addition, until all of the cheese has been incorporated. Stir in the bacon and pour the sauce over the macaroni.

Pour the macaroni into a serving dish, and sprinkle the crushed Cheetos over the top. Serve hot to hungry musicians and other loved ones.

Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures as she tries to win prizes, feeds hungry teenagers and other loved ones, and generally just has fun in the kitchen. The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured next to the blog's title) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15, and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here!

You can contact Mary at yentamary@gmail.com.