Viral Mac & Cheese Guide
A viral Twitter thread from @Fresh_Cure just detailed classic comfort food recipes, including mac & cheese made with 12 oz elbow macaroni, 3 tbsp butter/flour roux, 2.5 cups milk, and 2 cups cheddar. The thread also covers crispy fried chicken (buttermilk-marinated, fried at 350°F to 165°F internal) and pot roast (3-4 lb chuck, slow-cooked 325°F for 3-4 hours). It got 278 likes and 56 reposts as winter comfort food cravings peak.
The classic combination of pasta and cheese dates back to at least the 14th century in Italy and England. An early English cookbook from 1390, *The Forme of Cury*, featured a dish called "makerouns," which involved layers of fresh pasta, melted butter, and cheese. The dish was introduced to the United States by James Hemings, an enslaved chef owned by Thomas Jefferson. Hemings trained as a chef in France and brought back the recipe, which Jefferson, after his travels, helped popularize by serving a "macaroni pie" at a state dinner in 1802. An early American recipe for "macaroni and cheese" appeared in the influential 1824 cookbook, *The Virginia House-Wife*, by Mary Randolph. Her version called for just three ingredients: macaroni, cheese, and butter, layered together and baked. The familiar blue box of macaroni and cheese was introduced by Kraft in 1937 during the Great Depression. Its low cost and long shelf life made it an incredibly popular meal for families and a staple for soldiers during World War II.
