Weird History Food is serving you a big cheesy bowl of the history of Mac and Cheese. Macaroni and cheese goes back in history well beyond the Kraft Mac & Cheese that every kid in America grew up eating. From the 14th Century on, we'll follow the cheesy history of macaroni and cheese, all the way up to the current Easy Mac microwaveable dish. Now the real question is: Kraft Mac 'n Cheese, or, Velveeta shells and cheese?
#macandcheese #foodhistory #weirdhistoryfood
What is your favorite Mac 'n Cheese - Kraft, Velveeta Shells, or homemade?
Homemade, southern style _(slightly altered to be vegetarian permissible)_
I love Kraft Thick and cheesy kind but I also love Velveeta
I like the mac and cheese the Gullah culture makes in my area. It’s cheesy and baked and overall just delicious
I make a mac & cheese with pumpkin, sage, sauteed onions and jalapenos, and a few red pepper flakes. The combination of the shell pasta, cheddar cheese, a bit of feta, and the vegetables is a really tasty combo. It's something that I serve in the Autumn and winter months.
Since I like a strong tangy flavor, I actually prefer the Loblaw's PC Deluxe Mac n' Cheese (Available in Canada's Superstore etc) - cheaper than Kraft/Velveeta, taste better than either.
Thanks for including Max Miller of Tasting History. Loved seeing him in the video.
It was a cool surprise!
It was an epic surprise to see for sure.
Yes! And Mrs. Colcomb is in there too.
Hells ya, its our boy!
I do food reviews while I’m high on my KZhead channel, just a young youngin tryna make it
I love macaroni and cheese
Join the club amigo
Don't we all!
True
Me too 😌
The taste is pretty bland ngl
Back in college I learned about "poor-man's tuna casserole" which was mac-n-cheese with a can of tuna mixed in. I still make it every now and then.
Man I love how many things you can do with Mac n Cheese. There's different cooking styles, different cheeses, and you can add different vegetables and meats, plus it's just so easy to cook alot of it too.
My standby meal while a struggling college student: brown whatever meat was on sale, add onion, peppers, garlic or other appropriate veggies, dump in a can of tomato product (sauce, rotel, diced, etc) add some uncooked macaroni and a bit of water, season accordingly. Cook until mac was nearly done, add grated cheese. You could mix it up with different meats, spices, cheeses. Probably my favorite was sausage, stewed tomatoes, some jalapenos, chili seasonings, and cheddar.
I dip my balls in it
@Essa Boselin that sounds great and is pretty much on par with what me and my friends would make while we living together doing agg work
My family used to make mac n cheese with deer meat. Pretty good, actually! Have no idea why we don’t make it anymore. We still hunt.
Dice-up your choice of luncheon meat or canned ham, boil the meat with the noodles, stir-in your choice of cheez-whiz, velveeta, canned queso dip, or Troyer government-style cheese after draining. Enjoy with your choice of glass-bottle cola or a glass of filtered water... Eat it out of the pot to minimize cleanup time. Great nightly ration if you use boxed macaroni. Doesn't take up much space, doesn't cost much if you're dining for one. One box, one can, one scoop. Every night. Snack for breakfast. Skipped lunch. Ate it every evening after work. Sweat all the salt out next day. I got pretty lean after eating it every night for a month. People got worried... I eat more soup lately.
In Northern Ontario where I grew up, 'Mac n' Cheese' and 'Kraft Dinner' were considered two VERY different things. If you promised your friend one if he came over for dinner, and Mom set the other on the table.. there was gonna be a scuffle in the playground later.
What was different about them? They're the same now, just different labels in different markets.
@@JohnDlugosz 'Mac n' Cheese' was 'home made'... And for some reason, kids hated it. It was yellow instead of orange... had like, breadcrumbs in it.. and * gasp * Real cheese! I MUCH prefer it to the boxed stuff now, but as a kid, it was like being tricked into eating dog food or something.
FE FI FO FUM I SMELL KRAFT DINNAH!
@@NewMessageif I need to eat boxed, send me some Kraft Dinner. I may have to hit Amazon or hit up one of my friends in ON to send me some.
James Hemings is a National Hero and deserves a statue. Fun Fact: Kraft Mac n' cheese was Kurt Cobain's favorite food ❤
That last name rings a bell...I wonder what his relation was to Sally Hemings, the slave who allegedly mothered a child with Jefferson. Was it his wife? Was James the son of Tom and Sally?
@@SimuLord James was Sally's brother.
@@SimuLord He's the guy and Courtney Love shot him with a blunderbuss so she did.
No wonder he was depressed.
Bs lol stop destroying already existing statue
I love that y'all included clips of Max! Not sure why his channel wasn't linked in the description, but.... youtube.com/@TastingHistory
Thank you for including Mr. James Hemming to the Jefferson story!
I love to cook, and I have my own recipes for baked mac & cheese, but I always have a few boxes of Kraft dinner in my pantry, as well as Velveeta Shells & Cheese.
Do you have any simple suggestions for taking a run of the mill box of Mac & Cheese to a whole new level? Like additions you lean on. I have no dietary restrictions and want to skuzzy up my next making of it real enjoyably good!
@@silkeden1 I'm not them of course but just add real cheese to it. If you want to go super fancy you can mix the nuclear powdered cheese milk and flour and make a "rou" sauce to then melt the cheese in but that's getting fancy at that point because you don't want to over darken the flour/milk mix.
@@Drak976 Thank you for this excellent advice and I have a box of shells and cheese winking at me in my cupboard with what you said in mind 🔥
I'm glad that it's officially cannon that Weird Food History watches Max Miller
Now we just need Weird Food History to do crossovers with Townsends, Cowboy Kent, and SteveMRE1989.
@Ithecastic shots fired!
always interesting seeing how meals got their origins.
I Love Weird history food! I tell all my friends about it when I pull a completely random food history fact during normal conversations 😁
My favorite Mac and cheese was from a local restaurant that closed in 08. I was heart broken and have yet to find a recipe as good and creamy. Sometimes I feel my search will never end
I've experienced the same pain
Try Brian Lagerstrom's recipe? It's awesome and my family request it a lot!
Add more milk.
Why not try to get in touch with the ex owner of the business hunt the dude down and ask him lol
Hm.. yes... “Howdy stranger, I’ve tried following you through various social medias to try to ask you about your Mac n cheese from like 10+ years ago sold at your former restaurant” Totally not gonna sound like a creep, stalking some dude over a food recipe.. not at alll
I remember my mom buying Kraft Mac&Cheese for 19¢ a box (yes, I'm old). We ate that fairly regularly, because it was cheap (and we were poor). Maybe add some ground beef and some tomato sauce ... Beefy Mac. A treat was when mom made "baked macaroni and cheese" ... with lots of Velveeta, so gooey and I _loved_ the crispy/crunchy "edges" ... mmmmmmm.
DANG !! in the vid, 9:12, it actually mentions the 19¢ Mac & Cheese !!
Mom Food = Best Food. I can use any ingredients I want but nothing is ever Moms spaghetti I'm ready going to go rap with my friend Freddy it's spilling out my pockets wish I had stuffed them with hot pockets double stuffed hold back Mama's stuff Mama won't be there forever her sauce is spilling out into nowhere. Hit me up Eminem.
A+ video! Makes eating mac and cheese so much more meaningful and epic. Such a high-quality video!
You should do the history of chicken and waffles !!
This would make my year honestly 🙏🏼😭
Ooh yes!!
Waffles are for breakfast. End of story.
@@oldtruthteller2512no one said they werent 😹
@@oldtruthteller2512it's past your bedtime, Grandpa🥴
Thank you for this video. Mac N Cheese has always been and forever will be a part of my life. It's one of the only things I would eat as a little kid and my mom would tell me I was going to turn into it someday!
But instead you turned into a cat lady
Mac and cheese is one of my top 10 favorite foods, so it's nice to learn that it has an interesting history
Such a fascinating story was this. A staple of the culture.
JL Kraft is my 3x great uncle. I still live in the area he was born in here in Canada and where he started his business endeavours. So, Kraft is technically Canadian 😉
Canadian, eh?
@Philby Iasgair and the basket used to be a basket until we made it a Net . Grow up Americuck
I walk by the plaque on Niagara Blvd that depicts the Kraft homestead almost every day (Fort Erie, Ontario)
@Philby Iasgair most American tech is bought from foreigners and slightly modified then called " American " . From the light bulb to peanut butter .
My grandmother was born in Canada.Does that make me one quarter Canadian.He He He.
My homemade 3-cheese mac and cheese is the best version, but velveeta shells and cheese are a close second. I love mac and cheese.. sooo yummy!!
Here in Canada, it's still called Kraft Dinner. It got me through my teenage and early 20s. 🤣
I like how the video title call is American but we eat an ungodly amount of kraft dinner in Canada comparatively
The box just says KD on it now. My daughter prefers the Canadian one so we bring back a case when we vacation up there in the summers. There are a couple of ingredients difference, and I guess her factory fresh taste buds can tell the difference.
Brand new subscriber here! I can tell I'm going to love binge watching your videos! This helps alleviate my anxiety and depression. Thank you!
In Canada we call it KD for Kraft Dinner like our neighbours to the south it is very popular.
I don’t people understand how much I love Mac n cheese. Growing up my mom used to make Kraft with chopped up hot dog sausages 😋 I had a friend introduce me to tuna-Mac. The possibilities are endless!! I love to add veggies and other cheeses to the box kind.
I sometimes use the box but always add shredded real cheese.
My mom makes really good Mac and cheese. She uses Kraft macaroni and then puts real cheese in it along with the powder. It’s really good
whenever i make boxed mac, i ALWAYS add real cheese in on top of the cheese. I also use more butter than milk. It creates the stringy gooey texture of a full fledged mac and cheese casserole but in a pot :)
It has to have a pile of grated mature cheddar on top but not melted, also nice with ham through it.
Nice!! We do that as well
@@ejakaegypt awesome. My favorite Mac is the thick and creamy one. It just tastes better ya know?
@@quinnhouk5369 we mainly use the velveeta one, I find it to be creamy as well
My Ohio Grandmother always called it Kraft Dinner, I hear it is still called that in Canada.
It is called Kraft Dinner up here, or simply KD. Seeing some of the clips in this video, I'm wondering when the US Kraft stopped labelling it as such.
Like the discontinued Kraft Chicken Noodle Dinner. Thye need to bring that back!
12:45 That end slide is CLASSIC !! Mr. Peanut, Land 'O Lakes lady, Frito Bandito ... excellent.
Love the sound it makes when you’re cooking it!
This sound ? Sppruuurtttppfrrt :Vomits:
My favorite of all your videos!!!
THis is probably my favorite vido on this series, awesome job
Kind of funny to see a lot of 'junk foods' were once the things rich and powerful people ate as a delicacy.
Nice to see the video shout outs to Tasting History, Babish Culinary Universe, and English Heritage's The Victorian Way. You made a nice video with interesting facts and graphics. And my favorite mac and cheese is homemade. I make a surprisingly healthy version from Cooking Light's magazine that they call Greek style macaroni and cheese with spinach, low fat milk, whole wheat macaroni and a blend of fontina, feta, parmesan and light version of American cheese.
I got into a huge debate with an Italian the swore up and down the mac and cheese didn't start in Italy. Thank you for finally setting the record straight. I mean, where it started is hardly what we have now but like you said, everything has to start somewhere.
You should drop the (true) bombshell on him that pizza originates all the way back from Greece. Watch his head explode 😂
@@DanielSmedegaardBuus right?!haha I commend Italians for being proud but they sure can come off as arrogant and entitled.
@@DanielSmedegaardBuusI'm certain flatbread with things on it was around way before the Greeks. What Italians also happen to forget is the pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil was only invented in the late 19th century. For decades Italians refused to even eat tomatoes on pizza (or anything) because they thought it was poisonous.
Every Italian I meet says the same about Alfredo sauce even though my mom went to Alfredo's in Rome and they hand fed her off the golden Alfredo spoon lol they just call him a fraud. Somehow letting cheese touch noodles is gross despite all their other food being cheese and noodle based. It's like if beans and rice can't touch in Mexican food.
Wow! Thanks for the good history of Mac and Cheese. BTW, I saw a brief glimpse of a video of Max Miller making Macaroni a la Reine (by Eliza Action in 1845), which is a pretty spicy kick on macaroni and cheese! Sweet! 🧀
The night my mother died, she served Mac'n Cheese with Tuna and some kind of vegetables. It was a common enough dish in our household, but I always did enjoy it, and I deeply regret that I happened to skip dinner that night, having no idea it was the last chance I'd ever have to appreciate her cooking.
🫂
Fuck man, if you don't mind me asking how did she die?
@@hidingbehind7256 probably of carbon monoxide; our house burned down, I prefer to believe she was already gone before the flames reached her, though we'll never know for sure. The family cat habitually slept with her and couldn't be found afterwards, so he likely died too.
The point of the critics soliloquy at the end of Ratatouille, even the simplest food can be a comfort and have deep meaning. The antithesis of this is some antisocial snob screaming at people for not being a 3 star Michelin meal all the time…looking at you, Gordon Ramsay…
I worked at a cheese factory right after graduating high school for part of the summer before starting college. It was 75+ hours a week. If there was different management, it would have been a meaningful job. The factory was very clean and the room was cool for the cheese. It wasn't backbreaking or dangerous either.
Cheese. Factory. No, my brain cannot process...
@@JohnArktor They would let us eat the cheese whenever we wanted, I remember the cheddar being really good.
Keep 'em Comin! I Love these Vids!!
I had Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Mint Tea as lunch for my last birthday.
We have 3 different ways we do Mac n cheese in our house. The boxed (of course), my baked Mac n cheese with buttered bread crumb topping & my husband’s made with American cheese. They’re all delicious in their own way!
_They’re all delicious in their own way!_ And that's what makes it great.
the video editing and script is always. super funny and sometimes witty. I love it! 💯❤😂
Great video as always.
Great video!
My youngest son and I love Mac n' Cheese. I especially love Mac n' cheese when you add Spam to it. very yum 😋🧀 I love your history of where foods we love today begin thanks.😋🧀🧀🧀😋
that must be the poor man's poor meal
@@rgerber People mock spam. The other day I had fancy $20 a pound steak. Next week I'll eat spam and potatoes. It's a different flavor sorry you don't understand that. You remind me of white people trying to make enchilladas not understanding why they're gross because they're making white people enchilladas because they gate keep what ingredients they think are allowed to be used. For example I've never seen a brown person eat a whole wheat tortilla in my life that's the silliest thing I've ever seen. I'd bet a solid $50 I have a better pallet then you but good luck shaming ingredients then paying restaurants $ not understanding why you can't get flavor at home with your limited small mind.
I love the humor in these videos, makes me laugh evey time
Do a story on the beginnings of ramen noodles
I use orecchiete pasta, and my favorite add-in combo is spinach, bacon + tomato!
in the uk our boxes are red and called cheesy pasta. but omg i needed this information, THANK YOU
Surprised to hear that Kraft dinner was created in the US. I thought it was only a Canadian thing
You guys are the only ones who call it Kraft dinner. We just call it macaroni and cheese.
@@heidihanna3131 the product is literally called "Kraft Dinner" or "KD" in Canada. It's not just a nickname, they market it up here with a completely different name even though its essentially the same product.
@@fireshorts5789 Seeing some of the old footage in the video, it seems it use to be called Kraft Dinner in the US as well. Curious when they stopped doing that and we veered in different directions.
@@jkwacker8225 Maybe it wasn't sold as a jello to my understanding most food in America in the 1970s was in jell-o form for some reason and maybe noodles don't hold up well in a jello mould. You used to have to go to a restaurant for something like a pork chop because your wife would serve it to you raw and it's either get worms listen to her cry for a week or go to the diner for something as simple as a sloppy joe. Otherwise it's a jello fish smiling at you. I'm talking peaches stuffed with mayonnaise. Horrors beyond belief.
@@jkwacker8225Probably the magic of localized focus groups.
I love Weird History Food -- with the Weird History Guy
Yep! He's my favourite weird guy.
If you think it's a 'thing' in the US, you should see the True North, Strong & Free. It's the national dish of Canada where, regardless of brand, it's just called KD for Kraft Dinner. My favourite method of preparation is simply to cut up a couple of hot dogs & throw 'em in with the mac whilst it's cooking.
Mine is switching out the milk with canned tomatoes. Laurie from Red Deer AB.
The national dish of Canada is poutine
Im glad i found this channel subbed 😂.
Swiss here! Like the dish, homecooked, but to me and friends and family who could taste it, the Kraft (and other american Mac&Cheeses "kits") are awful... I couldn't get past the first bite. I guess it's these things you must be raised with (in Switzerland we have Cenovis, a kind of Marmite only swiss people can eat) Would be interested in knowing how is the worldwide market... is there other countries apart from the US and Canada crazy about it? Great video, as always on this channel! Keep the good work!
OMG - LOVE that @Weird History Food included clips of the one & only @Max Miller (aka: @Tasting History)!!!!
It's hilarious that you used @PastaGrammar in this video!!! Thanks for another great episode!
Suggestion meals in a box. Hamburger/Tuna Helper. Rice-A-Roni.
I read somewhere that Canadians call it Kraft Dinner instead of Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Canadian here, can confirm we call it Kraft Dinner or simply KD
@@ElectricAssssss Sweet, thanks! It is interesting that it is so popular it even has its own initials there. Is Wilbur Soup a real type of soup?
Seeing tasting history referenced here is awesome!
One of my favorites!!! Yum yum ♥
Ive eaten hot cocoa powder straight up but not once have i considered the kraft powder. Ive got something new to try tonight. Thanks Weird History.
Tasting history. Great channel
Yeah, I suppose I eat the Kraft mac’ & cheese powder by itself . . . technically speaking. Ever since I was a little kid I would steal the cheese pouch from the box and sprinkle it on freshly popped popcorn. I’d also use an inordinate amount of melted butter too, (had to get the cheese to stick to the kernels somehow) for flavor, you see?
Burger King had a version of fries that you basically shook in that cheese powder. i was a fatty so of course I had them 😂😭
It's a favourite in Canada too.
Kraft Dinner, eh
Kraft dinner is a staple in every 90’s kids diet
Well, James L Kraft is actually Canadian! I’m a descendant of one of his sisters!
Mac and cheese is so much more than the box stuff. But I still love the box stuf my favorite childhood meal that and a hot dog in there. When I learn to cook that I didnt need a babysitter anymore.🤣 Me and the huffy .
YES!!!!!!!!! LOVE MACARONI AND CHEESE!!!!!
Wow. I made a box today of this for the first time in YEARS before even knowing about this new video!
YES five stars for the shot of Max Miller eating HIS historically inspired pasta!
Please make a video about forgotten food mascots!
I loved the subtle inclusion of Max!!! And his cooking!
Lol, about the powder, I found that it also helps give spaghetti a nice bit of a cheesy tang, paired with some kraft parmesan cheese, lol.
Mrs. Crocombe!!!!! You are now a food history channel!!! 😋 Haha And now she will throw shade at you.
Thanks for this! 🧀 #WeirdHistoryFood #FoodHistory #MacaroniAndCheese #MacAndCheese
Mrs Crocombe AND Max Miller! Nice!
"We used to be big cheeses--now we're just Velveeta!"
Adding the kraft powder to microwave popcorn is messy and absolutely delicious!
“What’s not to like” Followed immediately by “DEPRESSION AND WAR”
There’s a chain restaurant in Wisconsin called Macs Macaroni and Cheese Shop. They make the best Mac and cheese with different mix ins. Trust me, if you love Mac and cheese, you need to visit one of these restaurants if you visit wisconsin!
Woohoo! Tasting History was featured ❤❤❤❤❤
Having Kraft boxed mac n' cheese in the ex-American colony of the Philippines felt like such an exotic high end treat!
Yeah....listening to my fiance wax poetic about the stuff he used to eat growing up in Manilla and all I can do is O_o At least now I know why he doesn't share my love for Kraft boxed mac n cheese...(I'm American btw)
Blue box and homemade. Love your videos.😄
'Twas an unexpected coincidence that my chosen culinary entree for dinner this evening was...CHILI MAC! It tasted ten times better while watching this video. Thanks!
Mac & cheese goes so well with baked beans, such a yummy treat 🥰❤️🧀
My favorite comfort food
So weird to see Max AND Mrs Crocumbe in one place!
I grew up with the good old blue box, either the powdery packet or the deluxe once it became available.
I liked it when I was kid, i still can see why it’s so popular
I had mac & cheese for dinner this evening. Dining before watching this video was a mistake, because I want more mac & cheese now.
It was my dad who had his own recipe for mac&cheese, not my mom. Dad did most of the cooking in our house since he was a professional chef. He would chop up ham and put it in and bake it with a bread crumb topping.
1:35 my boy Tasting History with Max Miller had finally appeared also hope it continues.
The farm at the end makes so much sense if u think about it -this channels cracks me 🤣🤟😂🤣
Love that Mac & Cheese 😊
favorite store bought is either Kraft or Marie Calendars though my late maternal grandmother used to make a great homemade 4 cheese mac & Cheese
I'm 32 years old and still love the blue box!
Franky! Loooook at this nuuuuudle!
I use to love Kraft mac & cheese they changed the sauce over a year ago now I don’t eat it it’s gross I really LOVED it a kid wouldn’t know any better if it’s On-The-TV they’ll eat it but what about the people that have taste buds? I really miss it. I don’t know why they can’t leave well enough alone.
Eating a bowl of Kraft Mac And Cheese as I am watching. Yum!!
I like to add fried onions, ground beef and garlic!! Yummy!!
Max Miller upon seeing this: CAMEO!