National Macaroni N’ Cheese Day!

National Mac n Cheese Day One of the classic comfort foods earns a place of honor on July 14th. It is National Mac and Cheese Day!

Mac n’ Cheese is an American favorite and can be found all over the nation, often with added regional twists – New England Lobster Mac n’ Cheese is divine!

Made with macaroni noodles, cream or milk, and the golden goodness of cheese, mac and cheese shines as a side dish while also standing on its own as a main dish. This meal reminds many of us of home while also teaching us the basics of the kitchen, or as a lunchbox staple, or as a go-to easy dinner after a long work day. (Psst – check out this health mac n cheese recipe – https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/healthy-mac-cheese/?fbclid=IwAR20uX2SOEg34_2NQeWT4xkrJa4kZRZIr7NECcThkP8pBZ2sx9vDp-8Wb7U )

From the classic boxed mac n’ cheese, to baked mac n cheese with cheddar or American (and bread crumbs on top!), to the spicy cowboy mac with bacon and jalapenos, there’s a combination for everyone. Mix up the cheeses or load up on seasonings like veggies, meats, and other yummy ingredients.

Mac n’ cheese can be prepared as indulgently or as healthy as you like! You can have 4-cheese mac n cheese, deep fried mac n cheese, or even pizza topped with mac n cheese (carb overload much?). At Private Home Care, we love Mac n’ Cheese, but as always we love it elevated to a healthier dish. Simple ways to make it healthier is to use whole wheat or bean-based pasta, or swap out butter for olive oil or Greek yogurt (which has more protein AND probiotics). Great healthy add-ins could be peas, chickpeas, petit broccoli or brussel sprouts, or tomatoes. Experiment with different cheeses too – you can use Swiss, Parmesan, Gouda, goat cheese, or a tangy soft Lebanese cheese called ‘Labneh’ where you do not have to add any butter or milk!

On July 14th, celebrate mac and cheese not only because we love to eat it, but because it taught us we can cook, too.

P.S. We always love to make foods healthier, but using low fat cheese is NOT the best choice. Why? Because when fat is taken out of cheese, fillers are added to still make the cheese taste good. This could be extra salt or sugar, or even chemicals! PHC always encourages the use of whole foods ingredients, and if you are trying to cut down on fat in cheese, just use a little less!