There’s a lot more to macaroni and cheese than a blue box and powdered cheese.
“If you can’t make it from scratch, there’s not a lot of point in making it,” said Rob Gentry, owner of Blue Plate Diner, where mac and cheese is as much a standard as sweet tea. “It’s hugely popular,” he said.
But what’s a cook to do? There are so many ways to make it and ingredients to ponder. Spaghetti, spiral or elbow pasta? Cheddar, Monterey Jack or bleu cheese?
You’ll find macaroni and cheese on menus from country diners to fancy restaurants. Though the ingredients may be gussied up a bit at the nicer eateries — say, smoked gouda instead of American cheese — this is comfort food in every bite.