Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese, mainly known as “Mac & Cheese,” is the most well-known food for children, specifically picky ones. Just about every has had a creamy, cheesy mouthful of the warm treat. When observing it at face value, it is nothing but noodles and cheese. Truthfully, it can just be that, but it can also be so much more

Historical Significance

Pasta is known to have come from Italy [1] and cheese has been around since “six thousand years before the birth of Christ [1].” Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had an insatiable appetite for macaroni and cheese according to Barrett [2], which is why his slave, Thomas Hemings, came with him to France for him to learn how to create such amazing dishes, thus bringing the dish we all know and love back to America [2]. Now that it is in America, it is considered a purely American dish.

Here, we observe some more history about the Famed Meal:

Getting Started:

Here are some things you will need in order to make Mac & Cheese. This will be a recipe that is used when makingKraft’s Box Mac & Cheese.

• Ingredients
  • A box of Kraft Noodles
  • One Cup of Milk 
  • Half a Stick of Butter 
  • Shredded and/or Powdered Cheese

• Utensils
  • Pot 
  • Spoon 
  • Measuring Cup
  • Butter Knife 
  • Strainer

Instructions

1. Gather your ingredients and utensils
2. Fill a Pot with water and place it on the stove. Allow the pot to sit on the burner until it comes to a boil.
3. Pour noodles into boiling water for Seven Minutes.
4. Mix occasionally with a spoon 
5. After Seven Minutes, pour noodles into a strainer over a sink.
6. Return noodles to the original pot
7. Put in half a stick of butter, one cup of milk, and cheese powder. 
8. Mix until the butter is melted, the milk has turned the color of the cheese powder, and the powder is dissolved.
9. Enjoy!

The Adaptiveness of Mac & Cheese

This dish had been altered in about every way imaginable. People of the Appalachian Mountains create macaroni and cheese casseroles, which can have broccoli in them [3]. Macaroni and Cheese is often put in salads, as seen in [1]. One salad Stiavetti and McCord [1] mention is “Buffalo Mozzarella Caprese Pasta Salad,” a style of macaroni and cheese that is made with primarily mozzarella, rather than the regular cheddar we use here. Since Macaroni and Cheese can be made in all sorts of diverse ways, it makes it the most efficient choice when it comes to wondering what you are going to eat and what supplies you have. Missing something important? Do not worry, there is something that can go in its place. You have some extra ingredients? There are thousands of styles of Macaroni and Cheese, you can always find something that you enjoy.  

Here are some fun ways you can spice up your Mac & Cheese:

https://thelionspantry.psu.edu/2022/05/21/8-ways-to-elevate-your-macaroni-and-cheese-dinners/

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References

[1] S. Stiavetti and G. McCord, Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, Boston, MA, USA: Little, Brown and Company, 2013 

[2] C. Barrett. Love Mac and Cheese? You Can Thank the Slave of a Founding Father for It. HistoryNet, Accessed: Oct. 23, 2024 [Online] Available: https://www.historynet.com/mac-and-cheese-origin/  

[3] M. Sohn, Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, and Recipes, Lexington, KY, USA: University of Kentucky, 2005.