flamin' hotdish

Ah, the Superbowl. I'd bet that I look forward to this ridiculous tradition more than most people outside of the football watching community. Sports have always held a special place in my heart - in my pre-art school life I played many of them - and any 'holiday' that involves food, cocktails and yelling at the TV is choice (see also: Academy Awards, the).
I mean, really. Check out this spread:
You may be wondering what that crown jewel of awesome is in the middle. Well. This year, I blazed a new culinary trail through the land of junk food - the Flamin' Hotdish. A delightful marriage of wholesome midwestern casserole and that crispy, spicy food of stoners and bad girls everywhere: Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Here's the recipe. As with most things at this calorie count, it tastes better while inebriated.

FLAMIN' HOTDISH

4 boxes Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
One 12-slice pack of Kraft singles
2 large bags of Flamin' Hot Cheetos

Prepare boxes of macaroni as directed. Divide into three sections.
In a casserole dish (I used a 10in square Corningware from my Oma - she'd be so proud) cover the bottom with crunched-up Cheetos (about 1 cup smashed).
Add the first section of macaroni, pat down evenly. Cover with half your cheese slices, then another layer of Cheetos (I smashed some, left some whole or partial). Repeat.
Cover the top with the third section of macaroni. Garnish with Cheetos.
Serve immediately.
Notes from a finely developed Flamin' hotdish palate: Cheetos get stale quicker than any ultra-processed food I have ever encountered, so invite over a bunch of your friends to avoid disgusting leftovers. The middle Cheetos get chewy and weird, which I liked, but if that's not your thing, just use the cheese for layering and add all the Cheetos on top. You can also get tricky and just cover your regular mac & cheese with Flamin' Hots, but then you don't look as fancy.
ENJOY.