A bowl of delicious looking macaroni and cheese.

Ode to the Golden Goo: Macaroni and Cheese Day

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July 14th is National Macaroni and Cheese Day, and frankly, it deserves fireworks. This dish is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug from your grandma—if she were made of noodles and cheese. Whether you like it baked, stovetop, or straight from the box (no judgment), mac & cheese is the comfort food icon we all need.

A Noodle-y Bit of History

  • Thomas Jefferson brought macaroni and Parmesan back from Europe and served it at state dinners. Founding Father of flavor?
  • The earliest mac & cheese dates back to medieval Englad, where it was called “makerouns.”
  • In 1937, Kraft introduced boxed mac & cheese during the Great Depression. Affordable, shelf-stable, and still going strong.
  • Canadians love it so much they practically have it on their flag. Okay, not really—but they do buy more Kraft Dinner per capita than any other country.
  • And yes, Crayola named a crayon “Macaroni and Cheese” in 1993. Because even coloring should be deliciou

Grab n Go Mac & Cheese - Starting Monday, July 14

Starting Monday, July 14, you can grab a 16 oz container of Art of Cookery’s mac & cheese from the Grab n Go Magic Fridge for just $8.50. It’s creamy, dreamy, and ready to reheat. Want to reserve yours? Text 231-740-4065, order online or email ICan@artcookery.com to order ahead.

Toppings to Elevate your Mac

Feeling adventurous? Try these unexpected add-ons:

  • Crushed BBQ potato chips for smoky crunch
  • Pickled jalapeños for a tangy kick
  • Roasted corn and cotija for a street corn vibe
  • Kimchi for a fermented funk
  • Bacon jam (because bacon. And jam.)
  • Toasted breadcrumbs mixed with lemon zest and thyme
  • Of course, pulled pork and BBQ sauce are on this list

Upcoming Cooking classes at Art of Cookery

Want to level up your kitchen game? Check out these upcoming classes:

  • Mother Sauce – Espagnole: July 16 @ 5 pm
  • Mother Sauce – Hollandaise: July 20 @ 1 pm
  • Mother Sauce – Tomato: July 23 @ 5 pm
  • Mother Sauce – Velouté: July 26 @ 1 pm
  • Pad Thai: July 29 @ 5 pm
  • Pakoras & Chutney: July 29 @ 1 pm

👀 Curious about Pakoras and Chutney? These are crispy Indian fritters made from spiced chickpea batter and veggies, fried to golden perfection. They’re served with a bold, tangy chutney made from mint, garlic, and tamarind. Think of them as the love child of onion rings and flavor fireworks

A block of melty, creamy cheese.
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Melty Cheese

This creamy velvety cheese is simple to make and replaces any store-bought block of cheese, such as Velveeta. It makes great Mac and cheese, just add some with butter and a splash of milk to hot noodles. Easy, peasy.
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Comfort Food
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheese
Servings: 1 pound

Equipment

  • 1 small loaf pan 7"x4"x2" lined with plastic wrap that is hanging over the edges
  • 1 food processor or blender
  • 1 saucepan or glass measure to heat the water on the stove or in microwave
  • 1 silicone/rubber spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 ounce unflavored gelatin (such as knox) 7 grams or 2.4 grams agar powder to make it a vegetarian option
  • 6 tbsp dry milk powder
  • 16 ounces shredded cheese See notes
  • 1 tbsp fresh herbs optional

Instructions

  • Have everything premeasured and at the ready. This goes fast.
  • Bring 1 cup of water to a full rolling boil.
  • Place gelatin and milk powder in the food processor or blender.
  • Pour boiling water over and pulse to blend.
  • Quickly add cheese (and herbs if using) and pulse to melt and combine.
  • Puree until smooth.
  • Quickly scrape into the prepared loaf pan using the spatula. Be sure to get it all!
  • Pat the top of the cheese smooth and cover with the plastic wrap that was hanging over the edges to fully cover and seal the cheese.
  • Refrigerate for several hours to set. Will store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can make this with just cheddar, but I love a blend of cheeses. My favorite blend is mild cheddar, gruyere, and a young parmesan.  Monterey jack and colby are great choices also.
This is a great way to use up odds and ends of cheeses in your refrigerator.  Do be sure that you are choosing cheeses that melt, not feta, panner, halloumi, or highly aged parmesan/romano.
If you have a choice, use a blender on puree setting.  If you have the heated feature, use that also.

Note: While I sometimes make a quick mac n cheese with this for a hungry grandchild, it isn’t the way I make my retail macaroni and cheese.