Mac and Cheese Day

Macaroni & Cheese. (internet image)

 It's National Macaroni and Cheese Day - recognizing a childhood favorite and a comfort food for grown-ups.

 I remember eating mac and cheese while growing up but the main memories of the centuries old meal are from my college days.

 The last eight months of college I lived in a studio apartment while working midnight to seven at WHO radio.  

 While I wasn't terribly proficient in the kitchen, I could make hamburgers, spaghetti, plus macaroni and cheese.

Mac and cheese was a prime part of the menu because it was inexpensive.  I could get three boxes of the name brand for $1 and each box made a hearty and filling meal.

I didn't know that Thomas Jefferson brought the recipe to America in the late 18th century or that it originated in Italy four centuries earlier.  All I knew was I liked it and it was filling enough to power me through a long day of classes and work.

Mac and cheese isn't just for kids - it can be elevated from side dish to entree with extra ingredients whether they are slices of hot dogs or something elegant.

Either way, it's good on July 14th or any other day of the year.