On our way to Harlan from Denver, we stopped at my parent's house in Louisville, KY. I'd asked my mom to make the sides I'd signed up to bring. She worked at restaurants, did corporate catering, and owned her own cafe for a little while.
She made Mac and Cheese that was a huge hit, and I've gotten asked if she would send the recipe.
She's cooked long enough that she doesn't normally use a recipe, or really even measure the ingredients. But she sent this over, and it should be easy to replicate.
* ~1.5 cups American (shredded)
* ~1 cup Reggiano-Parmesan (grated)
* ~1 cup Pecanino Romano (grated)
* ~1 cup Parmesan cheese (regular Kraft grated)
She said the key is to start with well-seasoned pasta (she used Rigatoni). Fully cook the pasta and drain it, then season it with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Taste the pasta by itself and make sure it tastes good just like this. Add the American cheese and stir to melt/coat the pasta.
Put the pasta into a 9x13 pan. Add half-and-half to cover the bottom of of the pan. Add the remaining cheeses on top of the pasta. Add several pats of butter to the top of the cheese.
Cover with foil, and bake at 350 until everything is melted and bubbly. Mix well after removing from the oven.