National Mac & Cheese Day: Here's Some Of The Best And Worst We've Seen

Source: burwellphotography / Getty

Simply put, macaroni & cheese and is a staple in the Black community. The politics of who’s making the beloved side dish, who’s technique and ingredients are the best and whether or not you’ll be able to take a plate home, are only a few of the negotiations that come to mind when mac & cheese is involved.

According to the BBC, the dish’s origins date all the way back to the 14th century in Europe, with the earliest recorded version of pasta (surprisingly the lasagna variety) and cheese cooked together being found in a cookbook called Liber de Coquina, and the dish being named “de lasanis.” While it was a far cry from the mac & cheese we’ve come to know, love and crave, the dish was born.

Regarding its popularity in America, Thomas Jefferson is often credited. In addition to bringing a pasta-making machine to The States, Huffington Post explained that he was the one to request that it be prepared at a presidential state dinner in 1802.

Notably, it was Jefferson’s chef, an enslaved man named James Harding, who prepared the dish that night and who Kraft mimicked their box version after in 1937.

As many may know — particularly Black households — mac & cheese has evolved from the processed powdered cheese and tiny elbows that are often made  due to accessibility, affordability and convenience. In Black homes — depending on who has the most favored recipe in the family — the side dish might be comprised of a béchamel sauce, a tried and tested combination of cheeses, a breaded topping and elbow macaroni.

Essentially, we like our mac & cheese done a specific way. The small variations that each grandma, auntie, mother (or dad who throws down in the kitchen) add are what exactly makes the dish special in Black households and the community at large.

Chef Joel Mays III spoke the way Black people have crafted Macaroni & Cheese in HuffPost and pretty much said it all:

Mac and cheese is not in a box, it’s not a block of cheese. It’s not in a can or microwaveable. That’s not ideal. You have to take steps to make a cheese sauce, a roux, and spray your pan so the pasta does not stick. You have to bake the mac and cheese or sauté it with the cheese sauce and add fresher shaved cheese at the end. Those cooking methods are preferred when it comes to this dish.

Macaroni and cheese should look like a bed of cheese hills and valleys covering the pasta, surrounded with the crispy edges from the pan. It always needs pepper, salt and garlic, the three spices that are the base of everything in this amazing cheesy concoction. Cheeses need to include cheddar, mozzarella, colby jack and for heat, pepper jack … or havarti cheese for a little sweet note that tickles your tongue and makes you go back for seconds.

With July 14 being recognized as National Mac & Cheese Day, MADAMENOIRE shares some of the best and worst mac & cheese moments we’ve come across.

Source: Brian Killian / Getty

Best: Patti LaBelle’s Mac And Cheese

Of course, Patti LaBelle’s iconic Mac & Cheese had to go on this list. In addition to the simple fact that it’s a recipe many swear by, it’s hard for one to go wrong when they follow the legendary singer’s steps for the perfect mac & cheese.

If you didn’t know, LaBelle’s recipe is so popular that it’s even sold in the frozen section of Walmarts across the country.

Source: Courtesy of Van Leeuwen / Van Leeuwen

Worst: Van Leeuwen’s “KRAFT MACARONI & CHEESE” Ice Cream

While this collab was just announced on this July 14, it’s safe to say that it’s a hard pass. If you haven’t heard of Van Leeuwen, a chain ice cream shops founded in New York City, it’s known for offering often very good and sometimes untraditional flavors. Lest to say, nobody was checking for an ice cream from them inspired by Kraft’s boxed mac & cheese.

“Nothing makes us happier than this Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Ice Cream,” it says on the ice cream shop’s site — before adding, “If this reminds you of the ice cream you grew up with, you might be out of your mind. If this reminds you of the comforting bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese you grew up with, you’re getting warmer. Because did we make this ice cream with that buttery, sweet iconic cheese? You bet.”

https://twitter.com/trashstarCrZy/status/1414847496518606849

Best: MF Doom’s Villainous Mac & Cheese

For those of us who like a really good mac & cheese in a classic way, the late rapper’s recipe is a tried and true staple.

From the story he shared, the recipe originally came from his “wifey” and “took a couple of years to perfect.” Its standout elements include one clove of freshly minced garlic, a Colby and Monterrey jack cheese blend for the base, and shredded sharp cheddar for the topping.

As an important tip from the rapper himself, “Enjoy, and don’t forget your potholderz…”

Worst: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom’s Mac And Cheese

Do y’all remember when Atlanta’s Mayor shared her mac & cheese back in 2018 and got roasted by Twitter users who claimed it looked dry?

In the replies to her tweet, people said things like:

“The cheese sauce is missing. You can’t just put shredded cheese on it and think it’s mac and cheese.”

“All your dish needs is some lotion.”

and “Whose Pyrex did you just ruin with this?”

In response to all the commentary, she simply said to the haters, “Lol… For the shady none cooking crew, add more cheese a few minutes at the end & then mix it up to make it juicy. Trust, nothing dry here.”

Source: Rafael Elias / Getty

Best: Millie Peartree “Southern Baked Mac & Cheese”

Chef Millie Peartree is known as one of the most premier chefs out there, with her recipes being featured in places like Delish, The New York Times, and Good Morning America. If you didn’t know, she also owned the former Bronx staple restaurant, Millie Peartree’s Fish Fry & Soul Food.

As per Delish, the three main takeaways from Peartree’s particular recipe are to make sure you don’t overcook the noodles before baking them, layering your sauced macaroni and shredded cheese in your baking dish like lasagna, and pouring an egg and milk custard mixture over the top of the mac & cheese before covering it with foil and throwing it in the oven.

Find the full recipe here.