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When life gets tough and leaves me longing for a sense of security and contentment, I escape to my kitchen and cook my favourite comfort food: a big bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese.

Long considered a Depression era food, macaroni and cheese actually dates back to the late 18th century. Our third president, Thomas Jefferson, is credited with introducing the dish to America. The story goes that Jefferson returned from a trip to Italy with a pasta maker and recipe for macaroni coated with cheese. Originally made with equal amounts of grated Parmesan and butter, it would later feature the standard cheddar and bechamel sauce. Reputedly Jefferson’s favourite meal, this casserole was served at Monticello, his Virginia home, and also at parties in Washington.

Although considered a luxury item reserved for the rich, macaroni and cheese did appear in Mary Randolph’s The Virginia Housewife in 1824. Her housekeeping and cookery book instructed readers to ‘boil the macaroni with milk and water.’ After cooking and draining the macaroni, they should then place it in a bowl and cover the top with cheese and butter. By 1851, the recipe had evolved into a richer, cheesier dish featuring alternating layers of Parmesan, butter and macaroni. According to Jean Anderson in The American Century Cookbook (Clarkson, 1991), the first saucy macaroni and cheese appeared in 1915 in the Larkin Housewives’ Cook Book. Many cookbooks, though, continued with the drier, layered dish through the 1950s.

Despite its long history on these shores, macaroni and cheese didn’t become a nationwide sensation until the Depression. By that time, pasta was being manufactured on a large scale, making macaroni cheap and widely available. Adding a little cheese, butter and breadcrumbs to a pot of elbow macaroni provided unemployed, cash-strapped families with a simple, inexpensive and filling dinner.

These bargain entrees sustained not only Depression era families but also every person I knew in college in the late 20th century. Whipped up in our dorm rooms, our mac and cheese came in a blue box courtesy of Kraft Foods.

Kraft introduced its iconic macaroni and cheese dinner in 1937. The timing couldn’t have been better. World War II brought about rationing and ‘Meatless Tuesdays,’ which, in turn, made Kraft’s fast, economical offering the meal of choice in most households. Today the company sells more than 1 million boxes of macaroni and cheese every day. I no longer contribute to this astonishing statistic; for me, homemade has trumped the box.

Making it from scratch couldn’t be easier. While the elbows (or other short, tubular pasta) cook, I stir together equal parts flour and butter in a mediumsized pan over medium-low heat. In other words, I make a roux. To this I slowly add milk, which transforms my roux into a bechamel sauce. While the sauce simmers, I sprinkle in my grated cheese of choice and a dash of ground white pepper and allow the ingredients to bubble away for a minute. By this point my macaroni should have reached al dente, a firm but not hard consistency and the ideal level of doneness for this dish. After draining the pasta, I tumble it into the sauce and stir the two together. At this stage I could cook the macaroni and cheese for another minute and then serve it. I could also spoon it into a buttered baking pan, dot the top with bread crumbs, and bake for 30 minutes.

Cook on the stove or bake in the oven? The decision is a matter of time and taste.

Likewise, personal taste plays a role in what cheese stars in my entree. Often I choose a high quality, aged, sharp cheddar and mix it with a little Parmesan. For more intense flavor I select a mixture of cheddar and Gruyere. At the macaroni and cheese-only restaurant S’Mac in New York’s East Village, Sarita Ekya opts for such cheeses as cheddar, Muenster, Provolone, American and pepper Jack. All these cheeses melt well, she says.

“If you use a harder cheese, pair it with a softer cheese for better melting and a creamier consistency,” says Sarita, who owns and runs S’Mac with her husband, Caesar. When it comes to ingredients, I tend to be a purist and stick with the basics. However, chefs across the country have jazzed up this comfort food with a variety of pastas, meats, vegetables, herbs and cheeses.

Thanks to the widespread influence of Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Napa Valley, I’ve encountered countless interpretations of his version using orzo, lobster and mascarpone cheese. With lobster mac and cheese there’s a return to its long-ago status of luxury item — and a delicious return at that! Determining what additional ingredients work can seem daunting. “We try to think of things that people enjoy eating with mac and cheese,” says Jason Camino, chef and co-owner of the macaroni and cheese bistro. “Since it is related to the gratin, we also look at classic French dishes.”

At his bistro the pairing may involve only a few ingredients such as macaroni, bacon, and Gruyere and cheddar cheeses. Or it may be more complex, like their ‘Greek’ macaroni and cheese, which includes feta cheese, Kalamata olives, spinach and gyro meat. One of the most commonly requested couplings is hot dog, macaroni and cheese, Jason says.

On days when I need a little cheer with my evening meal, I pull out my saucepans, box of macaroni and block of cheddar cheese, and indulge in a little comfort cooking. Macaroni and cheese — it’s the food of contentment for me.

MACARONI, TOMATO, BASIL AND GOAT CHEESE

2 cups elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
6 ounces goat cheese, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 cup tomatoes (roughly 2 medium-sized tomatoes), seeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1/3 cup bread crumbs
Serves 4 to 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Following the directions on the package, cook the macaroni until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour, whisking until well combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Over medium heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to incorporate. Cook together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses and ground pepper to the liquid. Stir periodically until well combined then remove from the heat.

Drain the macaroni. Tumble it into the pan with the cheese sauce and mix them together. Add the tomatoes and minced basil and stir to evenly distribute macaroni, cheese, tomatoes and basil.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and pour it over the breadcrumbs. Mix together until the crumbs are coated with butter and then sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes at which time the breadcrumbs should be golden and the macaroni and cheese ready to eat.

STOVETOP MACARONI AND A CHEESE QUARTET

2 cups elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
Dash of ground white pepper
Curry powder, optional garnish
Hot paprika, optional garnish
Serves 4 to 6

Following the directions on the package, cook the macaroni until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour, whisking until well combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Over medium heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to incorporate. Cook together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses and pepper to the liquid. Stir periodically until well combined and then remove from the heat.

Drain the macaroni. Tumble it into the pan with the cheese sauce, stir them together and allow the mixture to cook for 1 minute over medium heat, until the sauce has thickened. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately with an optional sprinkling of curry powder or hot paprika on top.

MACARONI, MUSHROOMS AND GRUYERE CHEESE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
4 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups macaroni (see note)
2 cups skim milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
2 cups white cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Serves 4 to 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8- by 8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and salt; stir and saute until softened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Following the directions on the package, cook the macaroni until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour, whisking until well combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Over medium heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to incorporate. Cook together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses. Stir periodically until melted and well combined. Add the pasta and stir until well combined. Tumble in the shitakes and stir once again until evenly distributed. Spoon the macaroni, mushrooms and cheese into the prepared baking dish.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and pour it over the breadcrumbs. Mix together until the crumbs are coated with butter and then sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes at which time the breadcrumbs should be golden and macaroni, mushrooms and cheese ready to eat.

Note: This is a great recipe in which to use fun varieties of pasta, such as ditalini.

© 2009, Kathy Hunt. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.