– An Easy Spread –

Full Name: Macaroni and Cheese
Alternative Names: Macaroni & Cheese, Mac & Cheese, Easy Mac, Mac, Macaroni Cheese (for some British people), Shells & Cheese, Kraft Dinner (“KD”) (its label during WWII; still used in Canada).

From the ages of seven to twelve, the only thing my best friend and I ate was Macaroni and Cheese, with SpaghettiOs making an occasional appearance. Although we preferred Velveeta Shells and Cheese, any kind of Mac was better than none! Most of the time we ate it plain. Occasionally we threw cut-up, cold hot dogs in with it. This was our comfort food, our everyday food, our obsession. Since I refused to drink milk, my mom was just happy that I was getting my calcium intake.

Eventually I grew out of this stage and I started to experiment with other foods: chicken nuggets, warm hot dogs, lima beans (I think I was the only little kid in the world that liked them.)  I was, in fact, almost liking tomatoes right before I went to college. That was when I digressed. Much to my amusement (and, I have to admit, enjoyment) in college I found myself living off Macaroni and Cheese again—this time mainly Easy Mac, since I was only allowed a “hot pot” in my dorm room and the entire dorm shared one microwave (which was always broken due to ignorant people constantly catching their popcorn on fire). It was during this time that I was also introduced to a distant cousin of Mac & Cheese: Ramen noodles. Both were incredibly cheap and easy to make—and, surprisingly filling.

These assets have made Mac & Cheese a long time favorite comfort food for people of all ages and hailing from all over the world. There are numerous stories recounting the origin of Macaroni and Cheese—none of which can really be proven. Some say that Marco Polo first discovered this cheesy masterpiece in the late 13th century. Others say that an Italian house wife first created it as a way to introduce non-Italian Americans to macaroni.

Its fame in the U.S. has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson, who supposedly served it at a White House dinner in 1802. It was also rumored to be Ronald Regean’s favorite dish, although he dressed his own recipe up a bit.

According to Chef Jeff’s blog page, Mac & Cheese gained popularity on a large scale in the U.S. in 1914 when WWI prevented Americans from importing it from Italy. It is also said to have been very popular during the time of the Great Depression because Americans could get “a meal for four in nine minutes for a low price of 19 cents” (a Kraft radio commercial). During those days the homemade variety was generally considered to be a casserole baked with cream and cheese in the oven.

In 1937, the Kraft Corporation revolutionized Mac & Cheese when they offered the first instant Macaroni and Cheese dinner. Since then, there have been many amendments to the original form. Not only has the Kraft industry created new ways to cook the macaroni (Easy Mac), but they have also introduced various alternatives for the type and shape of pasta, most notably Shells, Rotini, and character shapes (Spongebob, Spiderman, Scooby-Doo, etc.).

There are a wide variety of pastas you can use to make your own Mac & Cheese, such as: corkscrews, penne, bowtie, etc. I find that pastas such as penne—which tend to cook to a more ‘al dente’ form and are not quite as soft—are much more satisfying when paired with creamy cheese. It is for this reason that I swear the cartoon shapes version of Kraft Mac & Cheese tastes much better than the original elbow macaroni version!

Whether you make it in the microwave, on the stovetop, in a Crockpot, or in an oven, Macaroni and Cheese is still a favorite dish among people of all ages. Following are some ideas for ways to dress up (and add some nutrition to) the traditional Mac & Cheese:

Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes and Bacon

Tomatoes are probably the most common thing that people put in their Mac & Cheese, although I’m not sure why—personally, I see this as a disgrace to a perfectly delicious dish. Regardless, many people enjoy slicing fresh, raw tomatoes into their dish. Bacon is another ingredient that has found its way into the cheesy meal. Bacon would certainly add some protein to the dish, while tomatoes supply lycopene (thought to prevent some types of cancers).

Tuna Surprise (as my mom calls it)

This is more like a casserole, in which prepared Macaroni & Cheese is combined with tuna, peas, and cream of mushroom soup. This makes a hearty meal at a very cheap cost. It is for this reason that my mom made it a couple times per week while I was growing up. It is no surprise that I have a slight grudge against it to this day (although, it is actually really good.)

Ingredients:

• 1 package Velveeta Shells & Cheese (I recommend this variety, or another very creamy Mac & Cheese, because it mixes better with the other ingredients)
• One 7 oz. can of tuna, drained
• One 15 oz. can of peas, drained
• One 10 3/4 oz. can of Cream of Mushroom soup

Directions:

• Make Shells & Cheese according to package instructions.
• When Shells & Cheese are finished, add all other ingredients and mix well.
• Cook on medium heat until all ingredients are hot—about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Serves: 4 adults

Alternative:

You can also turn this dish into a traditional casserole: Pour the finished product into a casserole dish and sprinkle plain, crumbled potato chips on top. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees until all ingredients are warm and potato chips are crisp (approximately 20 minutes).

Macaroni & Cheese with Hot Dogs

Although as a kid I sliced up cold hot dogs to put in my Mac & Cheese, I would now recommend heating the hot dog first. No ketchup and mustard needed, although I have heard of people mixing them all together…. Kids love this dish, and it is also a good, soft choice for those who have recently had dental work done. As an alternative to hot dogs, you could also try slices of ham or turkey.

*WARNING! The following recipe is not suitable for those under the age of 35. It contains graphic words which may provoke hilarious images. If you cannot look at the word “balls” without laughing, I suggest you stop reading now.

“Fried Mac N Cheese Balls ala Cheesecake Factory”

The following recipe comes from a web site titled “T’s Recipes.” I tried out the recipe to see whether it really lived up to The Cheesecake Factory’s fried Macaroni and Cheese appetizer (my favorite!), and offer my comments and suggestions in italics throughout the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Cavatappi                                   
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk, warmed, plus 2 tbsp. for egg wash
• 1 lb. grated White Sharp Cheddar
• 1 lb. grated Smoked Gouda
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups Panko
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Marinara or Alfredo sauce, to serve

Directions:

Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside. Although you can use different types of pasta, smaller types are easier to shape into balls at the end. I used Penne and had a hard time getting it to keep its shape. Also, if you use bigger pasta like penne there is less room for cheese, and it is thus less flavorful.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir it with a whisk. Cook two minutes.

Whisk the warmed milk into the flour mixture, working out any lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens, about two minutes. Milk scorches very easily, so this requires almost constant stirring.

Remove from the heat, add the cheeses, and stir until melted and smooth; season with salt and pepper. Fold cheese sauce into macaroni. Pour the Mac & Cheese into a shallow pan and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours. Make sure to have the cheese pre-shredded, because the cheese will melt easier while the milk mixture is still warm. Season liberally with the salt and pepper. Adding some cayenne pepper might add some flavor to the recipe.

Shape the cold Mac & Cheese into meatball-sized balls and place them onto a waxed paper-lined tray. Freeze balls overnight. The shaping needs to be done fairly quickly; If you hold the balls in your hand for too long, they start to warm and soften up and will not keep their shape.

Beat the eggs and 2 tbsp. milk together to form an egg wash and pour it into a shallow bowl. Put the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl. You may need extra eggs and milk for an additional egg wash, because the recipe makes a lot more balls than it says it does.

Remove the Mac & Cheese balls from the freezer. Dip the frozen balls into the egg wash, then into the Panko. Place the balls back into the freezer until you are ready to fry. You can keep the balls in the freezer for a long period of time! This is nice if you want to pre-prep them for a party or just have them on hand for a quick snack.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Since I do not own a deep-fat fryer, I poured about 1 ½ inches of oil in a pot (covered a little more than half of the balls) and flipped the balls to cook both sides.

Fry the Mac & Cheese balls until they are golden brown and center is hot, about 5 minutes. 5 minutes may be too long! Mine cooked in about 1 minute, although I may have had the temperature too high. It is important that you do not have a temperature lower than about 310 degrees F, or else the Mac & Cheese balls will fall apart before they are finished cooking. Also, have a paper towel-lined plate ready before you start cooking.

Serve hot with your favorite Marinara or Alfredo sauce, or a combination of both, for dipping. A combination of both tasted delicious. I recommend adding sautéed onions to the mixture for an even more delicious dipping sauce.

Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch balls. Yeah, right! I reduced the recipe down to ¼ of the original size and it made 17 2-inch balls!

The recipe didn’t quite compare to the Fried Macaroni & Cheese appetizer at The Cheesecake Factory, but I think with some tweaking it could get there. I also blame my novice cooking skills for messing up the recipe quite a bit.

Mistakes:

First of all, I used leftover penne pasta, which I re-heated in boiling water for about 1 minute. Not only was the pasta not as fresh as it could have been, but, as I said before, the penne pasta was a bit hard to shape and took up too much space (leaving little room for the best part—the cheese!)

Also, because I misread the recipe, I used regular Sharp Cheddar Cheese instead of White Sharp Cheddar Cheese. The latter probably has a much stronger taste.

Because I reduced the entire recipe to ¼ of the original, there was barely any butter and milk to stir the cheese into, so my cheese sauce—which was supposed to be creamy and smooth—turned out lumpy and thick. Thus, it was very hard to stir this into my pasta. I also think that I misjudged the amount of pasta that I had, because it seemed like an unproportionally large amount compared to the amount of cheese sauce that I had.

Additionally, I used Italian bread crumbs instead of regular Panko bread crumbs to coat the balls. I didn’t think this would hurt the recipe too much, but you never know!

Finally, I fried the balls in oil in a pot on the stove, rather than a deep-fat fryer. Although my method seemed to work just fine, I was unable to really gauge the temperature of the oil. Thus, my cooking time was very unexpected—the balls turned brown in about 10 seconds—and I was forced to cook them a little darker than I would have liked to ensure that they were completely warm on the inside.

Suggestions for a better recipe:

• *Try adding onions and/or garlic in the Mac & Cheese Balls and/or the dipping sauce.
• *Add liberal salt and pepper, and add some cayenne pepper as well.
• *Add more cheese to the recipe (requiring you to increase the amount of milk, etc. to blend it with).
• *Try using Velveeta cheese instead of the Cheddar.

There are, of course, a million other recipes for spicing up the plain ol’ Mac & Cheese… What do you put in yours?

Stephanie is an English graduate student at George Mason University who loves her family, friends, and dogs. When she’s not going to class or bartending, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and snowboarding.

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