10 Things You Didn't Know About Macaroni And Cheese

For such a simple and popular dish, you will be surprised to find there's a lot you don't know about the illustrious mac and cheese.

In the fourteenth century, a cheese and pasta casserole known as makerouns was recorded in the famous medieval English cookbook, the Forme of Cury.  It was made with fresh, hand-cut pasta which was sandwiched between a mixture of melted butter and cheese. The book instructs cooks to "Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh, and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. Take chese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns, and serue forth."

The American president Thomas Jefferson encountered macaroni both in Paris and in northern Italy. Jefferson then imported both macaroni and Parmesan cheese for his use at his estate in Virginia. In 1802, Jefferson served "a pie called macaroni" at a state dinner.

In the United States, July 14 has been branded as "National Macaroni and Cheese Day."

Cheddar cheese is the most commonly used cheese for macaroni and cheese, but other cheeses are also commonly used. Behind Cheddar, the most popular recipes include Gruyère, Gouda, Havarti, and Parmesan cheese.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was introduced in 1937 with the slogan "Make a meal for four in nine minutes." It was an immediate success in the U.S. and Canada during the Great Depression.

During WWII, food rationing led to increased popularity for Kraft Mac and Cheese. Americans could obtain two boxes for one food rationing stamp.

It is considered the national dish and boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese is the most-purchased grocery item in the country.

The recommended wine to serve with macaroni and cheese is Burgundy. Try it with any of our Best Macaroni and Cheese recipes.

In 1993, Crayola named one of its crayon colors "Macaroni and Cheese."

In response to consumer feedback, as of April 2015 Kraft eliminated of artificial preservatives, and dangerous dyes. Instead of artificial colorings yellow 5 and yellow 6, paprika, annatto, and turmeric are used for coloring.