BBQ Macaroni and Cheese

This may sound a bit unusual and, to be sure, I was not completely convinced of the results when I started making this but I just had a feeling, so I went with it.  I had a couple of the country ribs with bbq sauce left over from dinner the other night and wanted to make something with them other than pork tacos.  Having recalled recently watching an episode of The Neely's in which they made BBQ Spaghetti the wheels in my head started to turn.  If macaroni and cheese is delicious as an accompaniment to all sorts of barbecued food including chicken, meatloaf, etc. and noodles are apparently good with BBQ sauce, then (recalling the transitive rule from algebra) would not it be reasonable that BBQ pork ribs shredded and mixed into the macaroni and cheese would be delicious too? Oh, yes, it was!  Though decadent, unnecessary and not very sophisticated, it was by far one of the tastiest dishes I have made in a long time!  I highly recommend you give it try the next time there's some left over bbq'd ribs hanging around.  

BBQ Macaroni and Cheese
rotini pasta or other small pasta (macaroni, mini penne, etc.)
1 cup leftover bbq pork rib meat, shredded
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup panko 
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions on the package.  Drain and set aside. In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat and combine with flour.  Let cook for a minute to cook out any taste of raw flour.  Add milk and stir well to remove lumps.  Season with salt, pepper and chili powder.  Bring to a simmer and thicken just slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and gruyere cheeses.  Stir in shredded pork and pour macaroni mixture into a casserole or baking dish.  Top with panko, romano cheese and smoked paprika.  Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and heated through.  Serve immediately with hot sauce and a green salad.