Macaroni Pie

[Twitchin Kitten]

I wasn't sure where to put this as its clearly not a vegetable dish nor is it fully a side dish. It is a little of both I guess.

This is one of our founding father's favorite dishes. Thomas Jefferson loved to cook and he has a whole font of recipes we can give him credit for and call them American cuisine.

This dish is from his original Monticello cookbook and it was served to his guests at formal parties. Thomas Jefferson is the inventor of Macaroni and Cheese!

Macaroni Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1/4 pound butter, melted
1/4 pound grated white or yellow American cheese
Salt to taste

Boil the pasta in salted water until barely tender (al dente= 'to the tooth')
Drain. Mix with the cheese and butter and place in a baking dish.
Bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 mins.

Here's a little true story you can tell the kids when you serve this next time.

Remember the song Yankee Doodle? Well it was originally an English song making fun of the colonists who were eating well and and becoming very 'fat and arrogant' with King George of England.
Who did we think we were eating Italian food and smart mouthing the King?

The "doodles" were us, the colonists and we'd taken to eating macaroni! So the song refers to the Yankees getting a little 'fancy' with feathers in our hats.... and calling it macaroni.
The colonists thought it was funny and began singing the song themselves. We can give Mr. Jefferson credit for this whole episode in our history!