Everyone I know has their own recipe for Mac and cheese or have their own way of individualizing the packaged version. It was one of those things, I ate a lot of in college because it was cheap and if I did things correctly, I could stretch one box for two to three meals. I learned to cook the dish from scratch, once I got out of college and wanted to eat better.No one is sure when Mac and cheese was invented but it is thought to have originated in Northern Europe. The first recorded recipe for this dish dates back to the late 13th century in Italy. The recipe called for lasagna type noodles cut into 2 inch squares, cooked in water, before being tossed with a parmesan type cheese. One of the earliest recipes for the modern Mac and cheese appeared in 1769 in the book "The Experienced French Housekeeper" but it is Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing it back to the United States after a stay in France. He brought back recipes and a pasta maker and even served it at a state dinner in 1802. This event caused the dish to be associated with America.
If you look at "The Virginia Housewife" published in 1824, you'll find a Macaroni and cheese recipe that is thought to have been created by Thomas Jefferson's cook and it calls for macaroni, cheese, and butter to be layered and then cooked in an oven. From this point on, various recipes can be found in published cookbooks. Until 1937 when Kraft foods released the first prepackaged mixes, Mac and cheese had to be made from scratch. In the first year Kraft foods sold over 8 million boxes for just 19 cents per box and this was at the height of the depression.It became even more popular during World War II when there was a shortage of dairy and meat products.
Since then, macaroni and cheese has become quite popular. You'll find it stuffed inside meat balls, in grilled macaroni and cheese sandwiches, as part of pizza, fried balls, served in an ice cream cone, in a patty added to a hamburger, in bread sticks, as waffles, or as a fritter. It can be served with bacon in a skillet and eggs added on top, as stuffing in a pepper, added to nachos, used to stuff squash, added to quesadillas, turned into bites wrapped in bacon, or turned into a cheesecake. It has become quite popular and it is no longer just macaroni and cheese.
In addition, it is eaten all over the world but not always in the same manner as in the United States. In Brazil, they add a cream cheese spread that makes it extremely smooth and creamy while in Egypt they have two layers of macaroni and cheese with a meat filling. The whole thing is then covered in a béchamel sauce and topped with cheese. In Finland, the dish is made with ground beef, onion, cheese, eggs, and milk, so it's more like a custard and it is often eaten with ketchup. The German version has caramelized onions with cheese as part of their Mac and cheese. In Greek they prefer adding to the macaroni and layering it with lamb and cheese before being topped off with a béchamel sauce. Sometimes they make it without the lamb.
In Hungary, Mac and cheese is served as a savory dish with bacon, sour cream, and cottage cheese added in or with sugar, sour cream, and cottage cheese as a dessert. Go to India and find it with tomatoes, turmeric, garlic, cilantro, and cheese while Indonesia, it has egg, milk, cheese, meat or potatoes added. In Malta, they use a Bolognese sauce, minced pork or beef, egg and cheese but the Russians prefer lots of vegetables in theirs. The Spanish like pork sausage, tomato sauce, and onion mixed in and topped with grated cheese. In Sweden, they add ham, leek, and cheese while the Swiss prefer adding potatoes, caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, with applesauce on the side. In Norway, they grate cod into the mixture with grated cheese.
So macaroni and cheese has it owns variations across the world and in the United States. My dad always cooked up some broccoli to throw in his while I am the add all those left over bits of veggies into it. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.
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