Fresh Mac & Cheese Recipe Goes Viral

The viral recipe taps into a long history, with the earliest recorded version of mac and cheese dating back to a 13th-century Italian cookbook called "Liber de Coquina". The dish, then called "de lasanis," consisted of sheet pasta cooked in water and tossed with grated cheese, likely Parmesan. Macaroni and cheese was introduced to the United States by James Hemings, the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson, who trained in French cuisine. Jefferson was so fond of the pasta dishes he encountered in France that he brought a pasta machine back with him. Hemings developed a recipe for what was then called "macaroni pie," which Jefferson served at a state dinner in 1802. The baked casserole style of mac and cheese gained prominence with its inclusion in "The Virginia House-Wife," an influential 19th-century cookbook by Mary Randolph. Her recipe called for layering macaroni, cheese, and butter and baking it in a hot oven. This method helped solidify the dish as a staple of Southern cuisine. The widespread popularity of mac and cheese as a comfort food was cemented during the Great Depression. In 1937, Kraft introduced its boxed macaroni and cheese, which sold over 8 million boxes in its first year at just 19 cents a box, providing an affordable meal for families. The broader category of comfort food, which includes dishes like fried chicken and meatloaf, often has deep cultural and emotional roots. These foods are strongly linked to nostalgia and can evoke feelings of home, family, and security, especially during stressful times. The soul food tradition, in particular, has shaped many of these comfort classics. Dishes like baked macaroni and cheese are considered celebratory and a cornerstone of Black American culinary heritage. The variations within soul food mac and cheese often involve a blend of multiple cheeses like sharp cheddar, American, and mozzarella for extra creaminess.