Beer, Bacon & Beef Mac & Cheese

Tonight I took two recipes that I wanted to try, and combined them into one because I wound up changing shit around after my husband whined that he didn't like swedish meatballs and wanted something else. I had already mixed the meat so I had to improvise. What I wound up with was damn tasty. Start out like you're going to make swedish meatballs. I didn't measure anything so I'll ballpark it for you. If you can't approximate shit, you shouldn't be cooking anyway. Meat: 1 lb ground beef 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1/4 tsp paprika 1 egg bacon Mix all that in a big bowl and squish the meat around in it until it's pretty consistant. You're gonna have to use your hands. If you can mix shit into ground beef with a spoon before cooking it, you're a friggin genius. Toss that in a pan and brown up the meat. The original recipe called for minced onion too. I didn't have time for that so I tossed some dried minced onion in the pan because I happened to have some in the cabinet. The original recipe also said to cook bacon and then throw that in, but I'm lazy and I hate cooking bacon. So I buy those "real" bacon pieces in the little glass jar in the salad dressing aisle. I threw a bunch of those into the meat and considered the matter closed. Cook some noodles until they're almost done. Does't matter what kind you use. I used Penne because I had it in the pantry. Use whatever you want. Measure out however much you think you're gonna eat. When it's almost ready, drain it and leave it in the strainer in the sink while you work on the sauce. Sauce: 1 egg 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons soft or melted butter 1/2 bottle of beer 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp garlic powder pinch of red pepper (or more if you want your ass to burn later) pinch of paprika 1 cup grated cheese Whisk the egg, butter & sour cream together. Pour half a bottle of beer into the bowl. Mix that in. You can use whatever kind of beer is handy. I had Bud Light, so in it went. Drink the rest of the beer. We do not waste beer. Period. Throw the seasonings in there, but hold off on the cheese. Throw that into a sauce pan on the stove and get it to where it's starting to bubble. Start throwing cheese in a little at a time. You can use whatever kind of cheese you want. More if you like it extra gooey. This was a last minute idea for me, so I tossed in everything I had - which was two sticks of mozzarella string cheese, 2 kraft singles, 2 slices of swiss, and a handfull of that pre-grated and bagged stuff that everybody tells you won't melt right. Yeah it will, if you are cooking it in a sauce. Once all the cheese is melted, throw the noodles back in. Get it all nice and coated, and then throw that ground beef deliciousness on top of it. Mix it all up, grab another beer, and feast. My super picky husband went back for thirds.