The Ultimate Comfort Food -- Macaroni and Cheese

Most of us don't think of macaroni as being Chinese takeout food but China was where the curved, tubular pasta was invented. It was left to Marco Polo to deliver the goods along with other treasures when he returned to Italy, where his countrymen promptly began topping the pasta with cheese and enjoying it for the next 500 years. Other Europeans caught the fever and so beloved was this dish that Colonists brought it with them to The New World. The rest is American history.

Macaroni and Cheese was a favorite in our family for years when I was growing up. In fact, the very first dinner I remember eating was Macaroni and Cheese with a "side" of sliced tomatoes. Back in the 40's, recovery from the Depression combined with World War II rationing caused simple food to be treated with a respect and appreciation which has begun to slack with more recent prosperity. Whenever the economy heads south though, people begin to think more about what they eat and what it costs ... and revival of interest in "basic" things like Macaroni and Cheese is never far behind.

The Recipe is No Secret.

There are probably a multitude of recipes afoot for this highly-esteemed comfort food. That's the nice thing about Macaroni and Cheese. You don't have to follow instructions to the letter or break out measuring cups or spoons. I have made Macaroni and Cheese for years and I doubt that any two pots of it have ever been exactly the same. In fact, it is highly unlikely that any two families are eating exactly the same version of this beloved entree which is adaptable, adjustable and versatile.

I do not belong to the culinary school of those who prepare a cheese sauce for their macaroni because smoothness and uniformity are not my prerogatives. I love interesting, chewy textures in my own mix and I feel that this is probably more in keeping with the original Mac and Cheese concept. Basically, I boil a pound of macaroni, drain it and quickly (while it is still steaming hot) mix in eight ounces of finely shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese, flavoring it with seasoned salt and a touch of coarse black pepper. (Even if you add other ingredients, the cheese should always come first.) Once the cheese has been thoroughly melted and blended in, Macaroni and Cheese in all its homespun glory is ready to be devoured once again, either as a side dish or alone as a light dinner or lunch.

Here's where it can get interesting:

Sometimes I drain a medium can of diced tomatoes and add them along with a little chopped onion to create that great American standard ... Tomatoes, Macaroni and Cheese ... OR Tuna Casserole can be created by skipping the tomatoes and adding instead water-packed (drained) tuna, chopped onion, and perhaps canned, chopped mushrooms to hot Mac and Cheese. A Southwestern tone can be achieved with the addition of drained fresh salsa instead of the tomatoes and a "Mexican" shredded cheese blend instead of the classic Sharp Cheddar.

When I first started cooking in my own home years ago (back when my metabolism and I were young), I loved to add drained browned ground beef to Tomatoes, Macaroni and Cheese. If you are sharing all this with an active busy family (or at least one other enthusiastic carnivore), this creates a wonderful dish ... alas the addition of meat also pumps up not only fats, calories and cholesterol but what I call the YUM factor as well, creating a dish which I can hardly resist or control my consumption of. Regretfully, I had to stop adding the beef when I cooked pasta dishes for myself.

Macaroni and Cheese Can Be Dressed Up or Down.

I'm proud to serve any version of Mac and Cheese to guests although for "company" occasions I may "gussy it up" a bit by transferring it into a fancy casserole dish, topping with a little more shredded cheese and browning a bit in the oven. A nice tossed salad and dessert of fresh fruit cocktail sets this all off perfectly. In a nod to those faithful Italians of old who kept the pasta boiling for all those years, I sometimes will serve red wine with this ultimate comfort food. If I'm alone, I'll eat dinner on a paper plate and save most of the rest, either refrigerated or frozen, for future meals. (Macaroni and Cheese warms over beautifully.)

This Dish is a Yankee Doodle Dandy.

He put a feather in his cap and called it Macaroni ... is part of the song we sing about Yankee Doodle Dandy. Even though Mac and Cheese began in China and was treasured and handed down by 500 years of Italians and other Europeans, this great dish has been a part of America almost from the start. Like America, it is versatile, diversified, and destined to be a survivor. We may have our share of problems but I'm willing to bet that 500 years from now there will still be Americans enjoying Macaroni and Cheese.