Baked Mac and Cheese
Elbow macaroni in a creamy, cheddar-rich sauce, baked under a crisp, buttery crumb topping: the ultimate American comfort food.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
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Method
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The story of this dish
Pasta baked with cheese has been known in Europe for centuries, yet macaroni and cheese is now thought of as quintessentially American. Thomas Jefferson's enthusiasm for macaroni after his time in Europe is often credited with helping popularize it in the United States, and The Virginia House-Wife, a cookbook published in 1824, includes a recipe for macaroni baked with cheese.
When Kraft launched its boxed macaroni and cheese in 1937, during the Great Depression, the dish spread further as a cheap, filling family meal. Today it is both a children's favorite and a must-have side dish at holiday tables, especially in the American South.
American Cuisine
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