The old stand-by of macaroni and cheese is apparently making a national comeback, thanks to new dishes from restaurants and packaged-food companies, reports the USA Today.
For example, Sonic Drive-In has started selling selling deep-fried Mac & Cheese Snacks, while Kraft has introduced an organic version of the mainstay dish, and Cheesecake Factory is selling it as an appetizer.
Here in Wisconsin, mac & cheese never went away. I can remember my mother making it from scratch about once a week when I was a kid. After”Kraft Dinner” came out, she often prepared it as a side dish — along with the omnipresent Jell-O salad at weekday suppers (if you grew up in Wisconsin you understand — I still look forward to attending potluck meals back home just to gaze on the dozens of Jell-O salads jiggling on the serving table).
Anyhoo … since the weather forecaster here is predicting six inches of snow today, and since I really don’t do winter (still not sure why I keep living in Wisconsin), I’m thinking I’ll get reacquainted with my kitchen and perhaps spend some time experimenting with making different Wisconsin Mac & Cheese dishes.
Google the words Wisconsin Mac & Cheese and dozens of recipes appear — even a 1995 oldy but goody that was published in Bon Appetit. In good news, mac & cheese is not hard to make. Selecting which type of cheese and which macaroni shapes are just about your biggest decisions.
If anyone has any recommendations on which Wisconsin cheeses you use in your own mac & cheese recipes, by all means, send them along. It’s going to be a cheesy winter.
I’m not very good at homemade mac & cheese, having tried it a couple of times with so-so results, but your post inspired me to run out to the store in the snow and get some Kraft Mac & Cheese (Three Cheese with shells). I’m going to make it just like my mom always did, with slices of hot dogs. Mmmm, nothing like comfort food on a snowy, lazy afternoon!