Member-only story
Thomas Jefferson May Be a Founding Father But It Isn’t of Mac and Cheese
The American political icon has long been wrongly given credit for the development of a very popular food
For young and old, and except for perhaps those with a dairy intolerance, macaroni and cheese has long been one of the most popular dishes in American cuisine. It dates back hundreds of years but unfortunately is often wrongly attributed to former US President Thomas Jefferson for its innovation. Although history does show he was a fan of the dish, it would be flatly wrong to credit him for its development.
The widespread belief that Jefferson, considered one of the “Founding Fathers” of the country, is also the father of macaroni and cheese in America just doesn’t stand up to historical scrutiny. However, he has been repeatedly represented as this culinary hero in many different forms, and his name is frequently associated with the dish even to this day. While he did help popularize it in the States, the reality is that he neither invented the pasta casserole, nor was he the first to introduce it.
Long before Jefferson’s extensive travels to Europe as a politician, pasta and cheese dishes were already long-established in both continental Europe and the British Isles. Baked pasta with cheese was…
