The proverbial comfort food macaroni and cheese, best known as mac and cheese to the rest of the world, has been reinvented at least a hundred times - the
addition of Le Gruyere makes it perfect. It has been a staple in most American homes just like burgers and hotdogs. A lot of versions can be found on this dish, some with different kinds of cheese as sauce like the Swiss cheese Gruyere.
Brief History on Mac and Cheese
Even as early as the 14th century, a dish similar to the mac and cheese called Makerouns was recorded in an English cookbook. Around the 18th century, mac and cheese has been popular around Europe and was considered as an upper class dish, even in the towns of Italy. When England colonized North America, they also brought this cheesy treat with them and the rest is history. The demand for Kraft Dinner increased during World War II when a shortage of milk and dairy was felt. Kraft Dinner became the savior for most of the hungry stomachs back then.
Mac and Cheese Versions
The original mac and cheese is consisting of cooked macaroni and its cheesy white sauce. However, as times have changed and taste buds greatly differ, variations of mac and cheese have been introduced to suit different needs and tastes. Some of the versions are four cheese macaroni, baked mac, very saucy mac and cheese, macaroni cheese pizza and restaurant style mac and cheese. Im sure that most American homes have their own version of this dish. To add to that, in a normal American home, a box of instant mac and cheese mix is very common and readily available.
Mac and Cheese Ingredients
As mentioned, this cheesy dish had a lot of variations with each one having a significant ingredient or way of cooking. However, what must be present as your main ingredients are your macaroni pasta and cheese, that you would use for the sauce. Choosing your pasta will depend on your preference as you can always choose to buy the freshly-made ones or the packed. For your cheese, it will depend on your taste because each cheese has a significant taste. If you are not satisfied in using a single cheese variant, you can mix it up with other variants such as the Gruyere cheese which is also perfect for mac and cheese. Now that youve learned quite a lot about mac and cheese, start now by buying your pasta in your local grocery and your cheese at any gourmet cheese shop in your town!
