email this pageIt’s hard to imagine any connection between a falling Dow Jones and food habits, but in the early 1990s, when the stock market took a dive, people headed for their kitchens and neighborhood restaurants and found consolation in comfort food. Chefs who had built their reputations serving rack of lamb and flourless cakes did a culinary about-face and started making family-style meatloaf, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. In some instances, they dressed up their recipes with fresh herbs or flavored oils, but macaroni and cheese, even if sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano and served in porcelain casseroles, is still comfort food.
Macaroni and cheese has always seemed to us an American dish, but it turns out the first recipe, with grated cheese and butter, appeared in an English cookbook more than 600 years ago. Years later, French refugees introduced a version of macaroni and cheese to the American South. African-American cooks transformed it into the rich and creamy dish we are familiar with and served it as a vegetable or side.
Children are big fans of macaroni and cheese, especially the kind made from a package. Every day, Kraft sells a million blue boxes of macaroni and cheese and at last count, two-thirds were to households with children. “It’s warm and inviting,” says Lisa Gibbons at Kraft Foods.
From the hundreds of recipes out there, we created a delectable, from-scratch macaroni and cheese. We substituted penne for the elbows and instead of one cheese, used a combination of Cheddar, cream cheese, Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It doesn’t take a down day on Wall Street for us to make macaroni and cheese; it makes us happy any day.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup 2% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
¾ cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
12 saltine crackers, crumbled
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch or 8-cup casserole dish.
3. Combine egg, garlic and milk and mix well. Place pasta in a large casserole dish. Add milk mixture and remaining ingredients, except butter and crackers. Mix well with a spoon. Combine butter and crackers. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serves 8.
"Relish a Classic Flavor," April 2006.
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, Comfort Food, then you might enjoy these other stories.- Comfort Food
- The King of Cheese: Unlocking the Secrets of Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Southern Comfort
- Comfort Classic
- Southern Comfort
Share This Story With Others:
There are no current discussions for this article. Why not be the first?
