This meal had a couple different inspirations. A few years ago my husband and I went to Cleveland for a long weekend and ate at a wonderful little restaurant whose name I can no longer recall. I’ll never forget my lunch, though; they served a macaroni and cheese with pulled BBQ pork that was just out of this world. They were flavors I’d never considered mingling before, but I’m telling you it’s like magic.

The second inspiration was the now-dead Nola’s Cup in Oak Park, IL. I’m sad to say I wasn’t a fan at all of the food at Nola’s. I like my cajun super spicy and flavorful and this just seemed bland. Their BBQ pork ravioli appetizer, served with a gouda cream sauce, however, was delicious.

I used a basic cream sauce recipe for this… a pint of chicken broth, a pint of whipping cream, garlic, butter and shredded gouda cheese in the place where you usually find parmesan, thickened up with a bit of  cornstarch. I then tossed it in a baking dish with some garlic herb breadcrumbs and tossed it under the broiler to help sop up some of the liquid.

On the top of each plate I served a dollop of Trader Joe’s Pulled Pork. Not bad, but I strongly prefer Lloyd’s Pulled Pork (in a tub). I had to add a ton of Sweet Baby Ray’s to get this barbecuey enough for my taste.

Mix it all up and what I thought would be plenty with leftovers was devoured entirely by us and our guests. A fantastic success, I think!