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Denise's Macaroni & Cheese

Simple and delicious mac and cheese recipe.

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Try some smoky Velveeta mac & cheese.

Denise's "box inspired" mac and cheese is a big hit at parties and pairs nicely with my pork recipes!

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Ingredients

• 4 cups elbow macaroni
• 2/3 lb. (10 oz.) smoked Velveeta cheese (cold smoker recipe coming soon)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1 - Cook the macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package.
• Step 2 - While the pasta is cooking, cut the Velveeta into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Step 3 - Drain the macaroni well and spoon into 2-qt. casserole dish.
• Step 4 - While hot, stir in milk, butter and cheese and blend.
• Step 2 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Step 5 - Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Stir about halfway through.
• Step 6 - Once done, remove the mac and cheese from the oven, sprinkle with pepper.
• Step 7 - Serve along side one of my smoked pork recipes.

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Some Mac & Cheese History

The first recorded recipe for a dish similar to macaroni and cheese can be found in a 13th-century cookbook from Italy called "Liber de Coquina." This recipe involved boiling thin, tube-shaped pasta in water and layering it with grated cheese.

The modern version of macaroni and cheese, can be attributed to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson encountered a pasta dish during his travels to Europe. He brought back a pasta machine from France to the United States. He then served a "macaroni pie" at a state dinner in 1802, using macaroni imported from Italy, and combined it with American cheese.

Macaroni and cheese became a popular food at the end of the Great Depression because it was cheap. In 1937, Kraft Foods introduced boxed macaroni and cheese at 19 cents for a meal that served four. They sold 8 million boxes in one year. The popularity of the food took off again during World War II because you could get two boxes for only one ration point!