Today is National Cheese Lovers Day, So - Hot & Cheesy . . . Mac & Cheese

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day, which of course, is a day to enjoy cheese! I have a tasty recipe to share - as cooking with cheese is a great way to celebrate this cheesy day - so the  cookbook - Hot and Cheesy, is a great place to find cheesy things to make and eat, since as the title indicates, it is filled with recipes using cheese! In fact the publisher says this is the "cookbook which will make cheese lovers melt!" What could be better for National Cheese Lovers Day? This book has more than 250 recipes for everything you can possibly think of to make with cheese with American and International recipes - as it says, "This cookbook covers everything from fritters, pastries, casseroles, pastas, sandwiches to pizzas and almost anything else you could top, stuff or sprinkle with cheese."

An interesting feature about this cookbook is along with the recipes the author - Clifford Wright, "includes historical and cultural notes about each recipe. He includes a description of each cheese and includes pronunciation, type of milk the cheese is made from, flavor provides and the best way to use them." And for the very adventurous of you, he even tells you how to make your own cheese!

So, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe with you . . . and since I'm a grandma, what else would I pick than Mac and Cheese! The author says this is the "quintessential American pasta-and-cheese dish . . . and he is probably correct! What grandma has not made mac & cheese for her grandchildren?!!!

Ingredients -

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion - I delete this
• 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped - I also delete this
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1lb elbow macaroni - I like to use small sea shells or spiral noodles :^)
• 1lb mild white or orange cheddar cheese, shredded - I also add about 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and substitute sharp cheddar for the mild
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard - I delete this
• 1/4 teaspoon salt - I delete this
• 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Directions -

• preheat oven to 400 degrees
• melt butter over medium heat and add onion, garlic and cook, stirring until translucent
• add flour stirring for about 1 minute
• remove saucepan from heat and whisk in milk
• return to heat and simmer over low heart stirring until smooth but still liquidy, about 15 minutes
• add the cheese stirring frequently until it melts
• add mustard, salt and stir until well blended
• meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil
• add pasta and cook until half cooked
• drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl
• pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir
• put in a buttered 10 inch casserole at least 3 inches deep
• top with bread crumbs and bake for about 25 minutes - until cheese is bubbly
• let rest for 10 minutes
• serve, enjoy!

As for the history of Mac & cheese? Well, it's origins are Italian, the first written recipe for mac & cheese was found in a thirteenth-century Italian cookery manuscript. As for American mac & cheese - well, there are two stories . . . one is it had its beginnings at a New England church supper where it was known as "macaroni pudding". The other story is said it was introduced by Thomas Jefferson after he visited Italy in 1787. Whichever is the true origin - or something else, we all know and love it today! 

And on this tasty, cheesy day, here are some fun cheese facts to share with the children you love - 

• At least 2000 varieties of cheese exist around the world.

• Cheese takes up about 10 percent of the volume of the amount of milk it was made from.

• Queen Victoria received a giant wheel of cheese as a gift for her wedding, weighing over 1,000 pounds.

• An old law in the US state of Wisconsin used to require restaurants to serve cheese with every meal.

What is your favorite cheese trivia and what is your favorite go-to mac & cheese recipe? Is it a recipe which was passed down in your family or one you found in a cookbook?