Taste of Texas – Mac and Cheese for the WIN(e)
Texas Wine Collective – Carl’s Corner
Taste of Texas – Mac and Cheese for the WIN(e)
This Taste of Texas event celebrates my favorite comfort food, Macaroni and Cheese, on Sunday, 23-February-2025, one session at 1:00 pm, and will feature three (3) variations of mac and cheese accompanied by six (6) delicious wines from the TWC winery partners, Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars. It will be fun to compare and contrast the rich, creamy flavors in the bowls to the bright flavors in the bottles. For cooler winter weather, but really any weather, mac and cheese is a good mealtime choice, either as a hopped-up entrée or a delicious side. Mac and cheese is now found on menus of almost every type of food establishment – food trucks, snack stands, and restaurants that focus on family fare as well as high end cuisine.
Baked Mac and Cheese with White Cheddar and Toasted Breadcrumb Topping
Lost Oak Winery Reserve Roussanne 2023 TX High Plains
McPherson Cellars Les Copain Rosé 2023 TX High Plains
Truffle Mac and Cheese with Parmesan and Gruyère (Earthy, Umami, Luxurious)
McPherson Cellars Counoise 2023 TX High Plains
Lost Oak Winery Sangiovese 2022 TX High Plains
Bacon Mac and Cheese with Gouda and Monterey Jack (Smoky, Savory, Salty)
Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 TX High Plains
Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 TX High Plains
The history of macaroni and cheese is fascinating, and recipes were found in cookbooks from the libraries of founding fathers: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. However, questions remain, questions about who invented mac and cheese, and how did a combination of cheese and pasta—two European cultural exports—become one of America’s most beloved comfort foods?
The earliest known mention of pasta and cheese joined together dates as far back as 160 B.C. when a Roman Senator wrote a treatise on running a vast country estate. He included recipes for ritual gatherings and holidays that brought together what could be construed as cheese and pasta. One dish was described as layers of cheese packed between stacked sheets of whole grain dough.
Our modern versions trace back to 14th century cheese and pasta casseroles in Italy and medieval England. Although traditional macaroni and cheese is a casserole baked in the oven; it may also be prepared on a stovetop as pasta cooked in a cheesy sauce.
Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper on pasta) was served for this event in 2024, and the dish harkens back to a classic Roman recipe. Martino da Como, a renowned Italian chef, published a cookbook in 1465 with a cheese, butter, and pasta recipe generously spiced with pepper called “Roman macaroni.” Owing to its popularity, most chefs of any standing created their own version of it. At that time, macaroni was a generic word for pasta, not a specific shape, so in this case the “macaroni” was cut noodles. The standard preparation involved pasta, butter, and copious quantities of cheese, usually Parmesan, sometimes with the addition of sugar and cinnamon which were used then as ubiquitously as we use salt and pepper today.
Lost Oak Winery Reserve Roussanne 2023 TX High Plains
This is 100% Roussanne was sourced from Diamante Doble Vineyard near Tokio in Terry Country, TX. Mechanically harvested fruit was directly pressed and fermented over 25 days at cool temperature in SS tank. The wine was aged 6 months with lees stirring in used American and French oak barrels before bottling @ 14.5% ABV, 0% RS (dry). Although Viognier has gained traction as the ‘white wine grape of Texas,’ TWC partners McPherson Cellars, Brennan Vineyards, and Lost Oak Winery have presented a good case that Roussanne may be a better choice. This Rhône Valley grape grows well in many parts of Texas and offers fuller-bodied characteristics similar to Chardonnay, especially when treated in oak barrels. Winemakers Jim Evans and Angela Chapman have created this Reserve bottling with a juicy mid-palate and flavors of muddled lemon with a slight oaky char, nectarine, golden apple, white flowers, baking spices, and a hint of saltiness. This wine offers a great alternative to Chardonnay as a full-bodied partner to pair with richer foods or just to enjoy drinking because one loves the richness and creamy oak flavoring from barrel aging. It pairs well with grilled seafood, shrimp or plain fettuccine Alfredo, poultry or pork with cream gravy, roasted potato soup with cornbread, baked white cheddar mac and cheese, and peaches sautéed in butter over vanilla ice cream for dessert.
McPherson Cellars Les Copain Rosé 2023 TX High Plains
This lovely rosé is a blend of Rhône-based varieties from Texas High Plains vineyards. Les Copains in French means friends or partners. Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo have created a stellar blend by partnering these grape varieties that have become well-established on the Texas High Plains and are a key part of the McPherson portfolio. Mechanically harvested fruit was pressed; fermented cold at 52oF; aged in SS tank (no malolactic transformation); bottled @ 13.5% ABV, 0.2% RS (dry). Les Copain Rosé calls to mind those wines from southern French regions - Rhône Valley and Provençe on the Mediterranean shore - that have made dry rosé iconic. This dry rosé offers opulent fruit and aromatics: think strawberry, Meyer lemon, wildflowers, and watermelon with a finish that is both creamy and tingles with good acidity for food pairing and porch drinking alike! Enjoy this with prosciutto wrapped honeydew melon slices, simply prepared seafood dishes, mild cheeses, BBQ’d chicken, turkey, or pork, and baked white cheddar mac and cheese.
During the dark ages, the written record of pasta-and-cheese falls off the radar. Not until the early 13th century are dishes combining pasta and cheese mentioned in the literature. This suggests that the dish had been carried straight through from antiquity and the Middle Ages, passed along verbally from cook to cook. The 14th century was a time of unprecedented cultural exchange. Aristocratic families in Western Europe intermarried and consequently did a lot of castle-hopping, which included bringing with them their kitchen staffs who shared recipes, like those for pasta and cheese dishes.
Included in a 1390 compilation of recipes used in the royal kitchen of King Richard II of England was a recipe called makerouns. The recipe, translated into modern English, called for a thin sheet of dough cut into pieces, boiled until tender, placed in a dish, topped with grated cheese and butter, and baked.
(This sounds a lot like a similar dish of that period called losyns - basically lasagna.)
By the mid-18th century, macaroni and cheese had migrated from Italy into France where the French veered towards a creamier style. Recipes of this type found their way to Great Britian and the American Colonies. Recipes from the early 1700s called for a soupy dish with pasta in a rich butter-veal stock gravy, to which cheese was often added.
Most food historians agree that the first really modern recipe for macaroni and cheese was included in Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book, The Experienced English Housekeeper. Her recipe called for a Béchamel sauce to which was added cheddar cheese making a Mornay sauce in French cooking—which was then mixed with cooked macaroni, sprinkled with Parmesan, and baked until bubbly and golden.
Béchamel sauce starts with a roux, butter or fat carefully cooked with flour,
to which milk or cream is added. This is considered one of the 5 mother sauces
in classical French cuisine. If cheese is added next, you have a Mornay sauce.
Hollandaise – clarified butter and egg yoiks
Veloluté – like Béchamel made from white stock thickened with roux (white gravy)
Espagnole – like Béchamel made from brown stock thickened with roux (brown gravy)
Tomato – tomato sauce thickened with roux
The famous British Victorian cookbook Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management included a recipe that called for macaroni, which should be tender with the form preserved - lest it be cooked so long as to disintegrate. This was then topped with cheese, pepper, and breadcrumbs, before receiving a final dose of melted butter for good measure and placed before a "bright fire" or broiled in an oven to brown the crumbs. Another recipe from 1784 stated that the small tubes of macaroni must be boiled, then drained before being moved to a frying pan. Heavy cream is then added to the macaroni along with a "knob of butter" rolled in flour (essentially creating a roux), and it must be cooked and stirred for five minutes before being transferred to a dish, seasoned with pepper and Parmesan, then toasted.
McPherson Cellars Counoise 2023 TX High Plains
This High Plains fruit was mechanically harvested, destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tanks at 60-85oF over 10 days and held on the skins for about 25 days. Following 8 months of aging in used American and French oak barrels the wine was bottled @ 13.2% ABV, 0.2% RS (dry). Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of southern France where soils are rocky and sandy, and the weather is hot, dry, and windy, so, one should certainly expect Counoise to grow well in Texas. Because of its fresh fruit character, light body and color, proclivity to low alcohol, and low tannin levels, Counoise is often used in the production of rosé wines. Counoise works well as a blending grape because it contributes plum and strawberry fruit plus black pepper, cassis, and floral notes. This version from Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo offers typical aromas of red rose petals and fresh strawberry with flavors of plum, cranberry, and strawberry plus black pepper and cassis notes on a gentle, lower tannin finish. Pair with creamy cheeses, tacos, tamales, or cheese enchiladas, and grilled chicken or pork. This should be a good match for Truffle Mac and Cheese with Parmesan and Gruyère.
Lost Oak Winery Sangiovese 2022 TX High Plains
The fruit for this blend of Sangiovese 95% and Mourvèdre 5% was mechanically harvested from High Plains vineyards, destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tanks at 60-85oF over 10 days and held on the skins for about 25 days. The cuvées were aged 16 months in a mix of used American and French oak barrels, blended and bottled @ 14.7% ABV, 0% RS (dry). Sangiovese is the most widely planted red variety in Italy and the key grape in the famous wines of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It tends to grow well in warm to hot climates with soils rich in limestone, making it a good variety for Texas, especially the High Plains. This Sangiovese has a pale ruby radiance and aromas of red currants, cherries, and juicy cranberries. Notes of dark cherry, cocoa bean, and hints of herbs highlight the palate with mild, dusty tannins on the finish. Pair with creamy goat cheese and black olive tapenade bruschetta, cheese or meat-filled arepas, and most every dish that includes tomatoes or tomato-based sauce. This should also be a fun match to the earthy, umami characteristics of Truffle Mac and Cheese with Parmesan and Gruyère. The wine was awarded a Double Gold at the most recent Lone Star International Wine Competition.
Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd U.S. president, has received a lot of recognition, probably not all deserved, for introducing macaroni and cheese to the U.S. Jefferson encountered mac and cheese in Paris while serving as U.S. Ambassador. James Hemings, who served as Jefferson’s chef, was born into slavery and later trained as a chef de cuisine in Paris. He was probably instrumental in bringing the recipe for macaroni and cheese to the U.S. Hemings learned how to prepare macaroni and cheese while in France and later served it often as it was not only a favorite of Jefferson’s but also considered ostentatious enough to impress guests. In 1789, Jefferson and Hemings returned to the U.S. settling in New York and then Philadelphia, where Hemings continued his role as chef. Hemings was granted his freedom in 1796 and after becoming president in 1801, Jefferson offered Hemings the role of White House chef. Unfortunately, Hemings died before he could accept the position.
Jefferson wrote detailed notes about the pasta-making extrusion process and drew a sketch of the pasta he preferred. In 1793, he commissioned then U.S. ambassador to France William Short to purchase a machine from Naples, Italy, for making macaroni and had the machine shipped to the U.S. Evidently, the machine (or maybe the wheat flour used) was not suitable, as Jefferson later imported 86 crates of macaroni and multiple wheels of parmesan cheese for his use at Monticello.
An early recipe attributed to Thomas Jefferson’s kitchen for macaroni and cheese included eggs, butter, flour and milk (a roux), mixed with more flour to make a pasta dough. This was layered in a deep dish with grated cheese (parmesan or cheddar), more butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg seasonings, and baked as a casserole topped with breadcrumbs.
In 1802 at a state dinner, Jefferson served "a pie called macaroni" prepared by Peter Hemmings, James Hemmings’ brother. Jefferson hosted this dinner to introduce mac and cheese to many of America’s elites, influential friends, wealthy supporters, and politicians/congressmen. One guest, Reverend Manasseh Cutler of Massachusetts, apparently was not fond of the cheesy macaroni casserole and reported negatively, writing about the extravagant menu: ”Rice soup, round of beef, turkey, mutton, ham, loin of veal, cutlets of mutton or veal, fried eggs, fried beef, and a pie called macaroni which appeared to be a rich crust filled with onions, or shallots, which . . . tasted very strong, and not agreeable.” Another dinner guest, Daniel Webster, described it as "a pie of macaroni, cooked in a way which is a mystery to most Americans." Despite any criticism, Jefferson had accomplished his goal as ever since that time, macaroni and cheese has remained a popular dish in the U.S.
A "macaroni and cheese" recipe by Mary Randolph appeared in her 1824 The Virginia House-Wife cookbook which was very influential in the U.S. during the 19th century. Her recipe had three ingredients: macaroni, cheese, and butter, layered together and baked in a hot oven. Eliza Acton's 1845 Modern Cookery in All Its Branches included a recipe that described macaroni boiled to tenderness while the cook dissolved ten ounces of any rich, well-flavored white cheese in ¾ pint of good cream; added a little salt, a rather full seasoning of cayenne, a saltspoonful of pounded mace (a sharp flavored spice made from the shell of nutmeg), and a couple of ounces of sweet fresh butter. The recipe goes on to indicate the macaroni may then be tossed gently in the sauce or the sauce poured over the macaroni. Breadcrumbs fried to a pale gold color, and dried perfectly, could be added before baking.
BTW – A saltspoon was an early English measure equivalent to about ¼ teaspoon.
Similar recipes for macaroni and cheese were found in the 1852 Hand-book of Useful Arts, and the 1861 Godey's Lady's Book. After the Civil War, factory production of the main ingredients greatly improved access to mac and cheese for most Americans. By the mid-1880s cookbooks as far west as Kansas and Missouri included recipes for macaroni and cheese casseroles. New industrial machines shaped pasta into uniform tubes at 10X the speed of hand-rolling. Steel roller mills ground semolina flour so fine that pasta dried without cracking. By 1880, dairy factories in Wisconsin and New York churned out 50-pound wheels of cheddar cheese for $0.15/lb, down from $0.45 in 1870. With cheaper, widely distributed ingredients and easy-to-find published recipes, the dish became affordable and accessible to a broader section of society, allowing macaroni and cheese to drift away from its upper-class roots.
One source points out that although there may not be a clear historical path back to who “invented” mac and cheese, by the 1800s it was a popular dish often described by white American women who wrote cookbooks. The domestic arts was one of the few domains in which women were permitted to flourish. Even though these women authored the cookbooks, it was most likely enslaved Black women or peasant immigrants who were in their kitchens, hands-on, either perfecting the recipes that would end up on the printed page or translating heirloom recipes into reality - in one way or another, passing on their culinary craft to the next generation of cooks.
Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 TX High Plains
Cabernet Sauvignon, a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is the world’s most widely planted grape variety. Grown in almost every wine region, it tends to express its typicity of structure, aromas, and flavors wherever it is grown and in a myriad of winemaking formats. Although the variety originated in Bordeaux’s cooler, wetter climate, growers in Texas have adopted methods to produce quality varietal wines in our warmer, drier growing regions. This version is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Texas High Plains vineyards near Tokio in Terry County. The fruit was mechanically harvested; destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tank at 65-85oF; aged 24 mo in used American and French oak barrels; bottled @ 15.3% ABV, 0% RS (dry). This has medium-plus concentration; aromas of black cherries, baking spices, and beet greens; full-bodied mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and black currant fruit; well-balanced with layers of complexity and a rich finish with soft, elegant tannins. Pair with BBQ, skirt steak fajitas, grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus, rich bacon mac and cheese, and for dessert, pear tart with molasses and cream cheese.
Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Comanche County Texas
This rich, deeply colored red is again 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this time sourced from Newburg Vineyard located 10 miles south of the winery in Comanche County. The fruit was mechanically harvested, destemmed, crushed, fermented in SS tank or totes at a temperature range of about 60-85oF. After pressing from the skins, the wine underwent malolactic transformation while aging for 18 months in used American and French oak barrels. It was bottled @ 14.8% ABV, 0% RS (dry). Similar to the sister 2021 vintage, this has medium-plus concentration; aromas of black cherries and baking spices with some herbal notes, medium-to-full-bodied mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and black currant fruit; well-balanced with layers of complexity and a rich finish with hints of cedar cigar box, cinnamon and vanilla spice, and black tea leaves followed by soft, elegant tannins. This pairs well with roasted pork and rosemary potatoes, beef stir fry, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, Texas BBQ, and smoky, savory Bacon Mac and Cheese with Gouda and Monterey Jack.
The Canadian influence on macaroni and cheese is significant. Macaroni and cheese was brought to Canada by British immigrants coming from various parts of the British Empire. Macaroni and cheese recipes have been known in Canada since at least 1845 when Modern Practical Cookery described a puff pastry dish (suggesting upper-class refinement) prepared with a sauce of cream, egg yolks, mace, and mustard topped with grated Parmesan or Cheshire cheddar cheese.
Macaroni and cheese was popularized by Canadian cheese maker James Lewis Kraft who introduced a boxed version, the Kraft Dinner. Sasha Chapman, writing in the publication, The Walrus, considered it to be Canada's national dish, ahead of poutine – a dish of French-fried potatoes and cheese curds smothered in a gravy prepared from butter, flour, and beef or chicken stock.
Key Note: Prior to 1900, most American wheat was not of the durum variety, the high protein grain originally from Europe from which semolina flour is made. Remember that Jefferson apparently had trouble making good pasta with the machine he had ordered from Italy – his wheat source may have been the reason. With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, durum wheat was introduced to American farmers. It was widely planted and became successful on a commercial scale. This timing was extremely fortunate based on what happened over the next 50 years.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, macaroni and cheese became a critical part of American culture and cuisine. Millions were starving. One entrepreneurial salesman from St Louis had the idea to combine nonperishable dried pasta with dried processed cheese. It could be mass produced and priced low. It was a huge hit, quickly establishing itself as the ‘American Housewife’s Best Friend’, feeding a family of four for just twenty cents. It literally helped save a nation from starvation. That St. Louis salesman, however, did not take full advantage of his creation, an opportunity that was enthusiastically seized by James Kraft of Canada.
Amidst the economic hardships of the Great Depression sandwiched between two World Wars, Canadian cheese maker James Lewis Kraft made a fortune selling his processed cheese to the American and Canadian governments for both civilian and military use. In 1944 alone, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps bought more than one hundred million pounds of Kraft’s processed cheese.
In 1937, both frozen and dry variations of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in packaged form were introduced and became immediate successes in the U.S. and Canada. This was a most important development because when combined with high protein durum wheat flour, packaged mac and cheese provided an inexpensive and nutritious meal option for many families. During the Second World War, American and Canadian families faced strict food rationing. Cheese and meat were particularly difficult to source and were expensive. Because of rationing, Kraft Mac and Cheese gained even greater popularity as two boxes to feed a family of four could be obtained for one food rationing stamp.
50 million boxes of Kraft Dinner were sold in 1946,
making mac and cheese a ubiquitous Americana dish.
Packaged macaroni and cheese is now widely available in frozen form or as boxed dry ingredients for simplified preparation. Boston Market, Michelina's, Kraft Foods, Cracker Barrel, and Stouffer's are some of the more recognizable brands available. It has been reported that Canadians purchase nearly 25% of the 7 million boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese Dinner sold worldwide every week.
Speaking of processed cheese, here is an interesting story. Gordon Edgar, a writer and veteran of the food distribution industry, was a judge at a macaroni and cheese competition in San Francisco. He wrote about the competitors, mostly chefs, and his opportunity to learn about this American comfort food. The judges awarded first prize to a renowned chef for a mac and cheese made with aged Vermont cheddar. The audience, however, chose another contestant’s dish as the popular choice. When accepting his award, that chef surprised everyone by announcing his main ingredient was the processed cheese product, Velveeta. As the audience sputtered in their beer, the honoree pointed out his decision was financially based - he simply bought the cheapest cheese possible – Velveeta in a box.
While original homemade recipes include pasta, butter or cream, and Parmesan cheese, American cooks often improvised, using cheddar, Colby or more affordable processed cheese, and spices like nutmeg and mustard. Today, gourmet versions call for a variety of cheeses, including Gruyère, smoked Gouda, goat, and cream cheese, plus add-ins like bacon, beef, shellfish, tomatoes, shallots, and more.
Variations - Pastas other than tubular macaroni are often used: almost any short-cut extruded pasta and many decorative-cut pastas, like bowtie, will do, particularly those with folds and pockets to hold the cheese. Dishes made with different types of pasta are still referred to as "macaroni and cheese," "mac n' cheese," or "cheesy mac", or, for example "shells and cheese" when conchiglie rigati pasta is used.
While cheddar cheese is most commonly used for mac and cheese, other cheeses – usually full-flavored versions – are also popular, and two or more cheeses can be combined to enhance the flavor profile. Cheeses such as Gruyère, Gouda, Havarti, Jarlsberg, Swiss, Jalapeno Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Mexican queso are good choices, while goat and cream cheese can added for extra richness.
One novelty version is deep-fried macaroni and cheese found at fairs and food carts.
Macaroni and cheese loaf is a deli meat preparation that contains both macaroni and processed cheese bits.
A version called chili mac features pasta and cheese added to or topped with chili.
Macaroni and cheese can be made by simply layering slices of cheese and pasta (often with butter and/or evaporated milk), similar to the preparation of lasagna, which is then then baked into a casserole. A crunchy topping made from breadcrumbs or crushed crackers, tortilla chips, or pretzels, can be added to help keep the pasta on top from drying out when baking.
In Scotland, macaroni and cheese is often found in pie-form, known as a macaroni pie.
In Switzerland, Alpine herder's macaroni, called Älplermagronen, is still popular. These dishes, also available in boxed versions, are made with macaroni, cheese, cream, roasted onions, sometimes potatoes, and often bacon or ham is added.
Italy seems to have gravitated more to pasta dishes with stewed beef and tomatoes called Italian macaroni. Even though they are often topped with cheese, like Parmesan, they differ from what we now know as typical macaroni and cheese. Another popular dish in Italy is Cacio e Pepe (which means cheese and pepper), which consists of buttered pasta covered with Parmesan and lots of black pepper. One should not overlook one of my favorite dishes, any kind of pasta covered with Alfredo sauce prepared from melted butter, usually a little cream, and lots of grated parmesan cheese stirred until melted and creamy. YUM!
To summarize, macaroni and cheese is not a culinary secret that sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on a ship in 1789 to be propagated from Jefferson’s kitchens in Philadelphia and Monticello. Rather it had germinated long before that and, over the years, had been fine-tuned and interpreted by countless cooks over long stretches of time and distance. Authenticity in a recipe is not necessarily bound to an era, an inventor, or even a country. More often, classic recipes arise when creative hands invest their expertise in a dish and position it within the folds of a family or regional tradition. Whatever the origin, from Roman Italy to medieval England, from transformation in France to the eventual introduction in the Americas, macaroni and cheese has been completely assimilated into the American foodscape as one of our most popular and cherished comfort foods. Thank you for joining me today to share my favorite food.
Information was adapted liberally from the following references.
A time-tested Macaroni and Cheese recipe can be found on the Texas Wine Collective website under the Blog/Press section: Mac & Cheese - Comfort Food Extraordinaire, by Carl Hudson, 03-Mar-2021
Macaroni and Cheese, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/macaroni_and_cheese
Who Invented Mac and Cheese? This American Favorite Has Ancient Roman Roots by Karima Moyer-Nocchi and Adrian Miller, 26-Sept-2022, https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/who-invented-mac-and-cheese
A Brief History of America’s Appetite for Macaroni and Cheese, an article published in Smithsonian Magazine by Gordon Edgar, 29-May-2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-Americas-appetite-for-macaroni-cheese-180969185/
https://britishfoodhistory.com/2019/02/03/macaroni-cheese/