A staple dish for the Thanksgiving season in many African-American households, one might think that this dish has Italian roots! Well you could say that, but this classic American dish was originally prepared in Virgina by Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Mary Randolph in 1824 when Jefferson returned from Italy with a pasta maker.
There are many ways to prepare Mac n Cheese. Some folks prefer their mac and cheese baked into a solid block, while others like noodles prepared loosely in a rich, cheesy Velveeta sauce. But there’s nothin’ like black folk Mac n Cheese prepared with piping hot elbow macaroni held together with chunks of melting cheddar, covered with a crusty layer of butter-baked breadcrumbs.
We typically go to our very good friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner each year. They host a lovely dinner, but my Mom is also invited, and she never fails to bring her traditional Mac n Cheese.
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk (or enough to smooth the mixture)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
When pasta is finished cooking, drain with cool water. Add egg and quickly fold into pasta. Add butter, garlic salt, pepper, cheddar cheese and milk. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
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