President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Sarah Jampel

March23,2021

4.3

9 Ratings

  • Serves 6 to 8

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Reagan's choice macaroni and cheese is more sliceable than spoonable. It's defining feature is its inches-thick cheese comforter, where the noodles are suspended in (rather than swimming in) a layer of crisped cheddar. There are some softer, freer noodles below, too, with a barely-there sauce; these serve as relief from the crunch and chew. But if you're looking for lusciously creamy, look elsewhere. I'm not ashamed that President Reagan's mac and cheese is also my own. —Sarah Jampel

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1/2 pounddried macaroni
  • 1 teaspoonbutter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoondried mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • 1 cupmilk
  • 3 cupssharp grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350° F. Boil macaroni in water until tender and drain thoroughly. Stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard and salt with 1 tablespoon hot water and add to milk. Add cheese, reserving enough to sprinkle on top.
  2. Pour macaroni into buttered 8-inch-square casserole dish, add milk mixture, and sprinkle with remaining cheese (and a little extra!!).
  3. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until custard is set and top is crusty.

Tags:

  • Macaroni and Cheese
  • Pasta
  • American
  • Mustard
  • Milk/Cream
  • Cheese
  • Make Ahead
  • Serves a Crowd
  • Weeknight Cooking
  • Vegetarian
  • Entree

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Valerie Cruz

  • James G Nagler

  • Catherine

  • Winness

  • Janice Grzywacz

Popular on Food52

24 Reviews

angelitakarmalita May 8, 2023

I’m from the South and remember our m&c always being the custard based dish, not the roux type.. i have tried many recipes and the best I thought was Patti LaBelle’s recipe, but it’s got so many steps and ingredients… well, not anymore! this is the one i’ve been looking for! I believe in finding the “perfect” recipe for a dish and sticking with it and this recipe is it! it’s so simple and it’s “perfect”

Valerie C. March 23, 2021

This has been our “family recipe” for years and it’s so delicious... I stopped by for a little refresher and wanted to add that I sometimes add cut stewed tomato’s to this recipe and it is delicious!! Gives it a slightly different texture but so much flavor! Thanks for the recipe refresher!

Alidogo January 31, 2021

Hi...by far the BEST mac&cheese. I didn’t grow up with m&c so I don’t have memories of Mom making it. However, I know what I DON’T like . Soupy goopy M&C 😝. That’s what makes this perfect. Has anyone tried a tsp of leaf Thyme in the mix?? This is how Thomas Jefferson ate it. Yes, the very same TJ. He is actually credited with “inventing “ M&C based on a dish he tried and loved in France. It was his favorite fo to comfort food. So along with the paper clip and swivel chair we can love him for this yummy dish too!!

James G. April 12, 2020

Outstanding, period.

Martha August 31, 2018

Has anyone tried this with condensed canned milk? Sounds good, I hate to mess with perfection...

angelitakarmalita February 19, 2024

Martha, I think (hope) that you mean “evaporated” milk, in which case, it would be fine, Condensed milk on the other hand will not work.

Martha August 31, 2018

Hi Sarah, This is how my mom always made macaroni and cheese, and it is delicious. Mom originally got the recipe from a cookbook that had contributed recipes from well-known people, included the lovely Nancy Reagan. She contributed this recipe, along with a couple of others. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the cookbook (even though I still have it, somewhere!), but I think it contained the word Centennial or Bi-Centennial. I much prefer the macaroni and cheese cooked with stringy cheese, rather than a cheese sauce. This is so good, and just like mom's recipe (via Nancy Reagan)!

piggledy June 27, 2017

This is my long time favorite, too, same ingredients, different technique. I cook the Mac, then layer it with the cheese, reserving some of the cheese to top after I mix and pour over the milk, eggs, etc. If you love the chewy cheese crust, you an bake the Mac and cheese in a shallower dish. My mother made her Mac and cheese this way, and I've never found one I like better. Whole wheat Mac is good, too!

Joanne S. February 28, 2017

This is the recipe I've been waiting for. No roux to make. And, exactly the way my mother used to make it!!!! I love my mac & cheese crunchy. I can't tell you how happy i am. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RG February 5, 2017

Is the cheese added to the macaroni/butter/egg mixture, or the milk/mustard/salt/water mixture?

Sarah J. February 5, 2017

It gets added to the milk mixture. Then that's poured over top of the pasta-butter-egg mix. Hope that helps!

Catherine February 5, 2017

This recipe was in my newspaper in the 1980's! Vintage recipe that is so good!

rlsalvati December 2, 2016

I've made this twice now and it is hands down the closest I've come at home to my guilty favorite freezer mac & cheese. My husband loves it as well. I used packaged finely shredded extra sharp cheddar. I left out the hot water step, put the noodles in the casserole with the butter, sprinkled on the mustard & salt, mixed, added the cheddar, mixed, then poured the egg-milk mixture over the top. This will be a great winter dinner in our house.

Scott N. October 22, 2016

Been making this recipe from a newspaper clipping for 27 years. Thanks for posting.

Winness October 19, 2016

Is there any reason why the egg couldn't be incorporated with the milk, mustard, cheese, salt, and water and then poured over the pasta? It would seem to me (haven't made this recipe yet) that the egg would cook before the custard mix is added. If the buttered pasta is put into the baking pan, and then the custard is poured over, it should result in a smoother, creamier dish. I'll try it and let you know. What I love is the simplicity of this dish. By the way, I'll use a four cheese Mexican blend since I love the flavors.

m October 21, 2018

This is my childhood mac-n-cheese and my family has always mixed the egg with milk, mustard, etc. Then you just pour over the top.

Janice G. October 18, 2016

Can I use almond milk?

angela November 22, 2016

no

TikiLust July 4, 2019

Yes! It’s better with almond milk!

angelitakarmalita February 19, 2024

absolutely

Nancy A. February 19, 2024

That’s funny

jonathan E. October 17, 2016

There is no milk in the ingredient list

Sarah J. October 17, 2016

Fixed that—thanks!

President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese  Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese Recipe on Food52? ›

Bottom line, Jefferson loved his macaroni and when he became president, he pushed a pro-macaroni agenda on official Washington. This did not always go over well. One guest wrote of a presidential dinner: “Dinner not as elegant as when we dined before.

Which president liked mac and cheese? ›

Bottom line, Jefferson loved his macaroni and when he became president, he pushed a pro-macaroni agenda on official Washington. This did not always go over well. One guest wrote of a presidential dinner: “Dinner not as elegant as when we dined before.

What's the most popular type of cheese used in macaroni and cheese packages? ›

But there is one go-to that you'll almost always see. An overview of Food Network's mac and cheese roundup reveals that most recipes have one type of cheese in common: sharp Cheddar.

Which president bought mac and cheese back to the USA and where did he bring it from? ›

James Hemings, a classically trained French chef enslaved by US president Thomas Jefferson, was instrumental in bringing the recipe to the United States after Jefferson encountered it in Paris. Jefferson drew a sketch of the pasta and wrote detailed notes on the extrusion process.

Who perfected mac and cheese? ›

James Hemings should be remembered and honored not only for his mac and cheese revelation, but also for introducing French cuisine and techniques into the U.S. cooking lexicon. We salute you, Mr. Hemings!

Which former president loved mac and cheese so much that he bought a pasta maker from Europe? ›

Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Macaroni and a Macaroni Press

His belongings were shipped to Philadelphia in 1790, and the machine was probably included with those items.

What type of cheese is president? ›

Président Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a mild edible rind, famously known as the "King of Cheese" in France.

What is the best cheese mix for macaroni and cheese? ›

7 Best Cheeses for Macaroni and Cheese
  • Cheddar. Cheddar is a staple for countless recipes. ...
  • Parmesan. Parmesan is a salty cheese with complex flavors. ...
  • Gruyere. Update your mac and cheese recipes to something more mature with Gruyere. ...
  • Brie. ...
  • Smoked Gouda. ...
  • Monterey Jack. ...
  • Fontina. ...
  • Sausage Mac and Cheese.

What cheeses are not to use for mac and cheese? ›

Those preservatives keep the pieces from melting evenly, and you'll end up with gritty, lumpy mac & cheese. Dry, crumbly cheeses like feta or cotija are not ideal. With their high moisture levels, they don't melt properly and will leave you with clumps of cheese instead of a smooth sauce.

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Preparation
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pasta and milk. ...
  2. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. ...
  3. Divide between serving bowls and top with the bread crumbs.
  4. Enjoy!
  5. All your favorite recipes, stored in one place.
May 4, 2023

Which president ate a tomato? ›

According to one published report, Jefferson created quite a bit of consternation when he publicly ate a tomato in front of the present Miller-Claytor house in Lynchburg.

Who was the first president to eat a tomato? ›

Many people believe our third president, Thomas Jefferson, was the first American to not only grow, but also eat the tomato. Up until this time, many thought the plant was beautiful decoration, but poisonous to eat. By 1870, tomatoes began to be grown commercially.

Who was the black man who invented mac and cheese? ›

Most telling, however, is the omission of his enslaved chef, James Hemings, who was the mastermind behind many of America's favorite dishes, including macaroni and cheese, but also ice cream, french fries, whipped cream and more.

What is a fancy name for mac and cheese? ›

macaroni au gratin -- a fancy way of saying mac and cheese!

What do Canadians call mac and cheese? ›

In Canadian culture

The meal is the most popular grocery item in the country, where "Kraft Dinner" has an iconic status and has become a generic trademark of sorts for macaroni and cheese. It is often simply referred to by the initials K.D.

Who is the guy that only eats mac and cheese? ›

Mr Davis added: "I don't wanna say I'm addicted to mac and cheese because it sounds so weird, but my body won't let me eat anything else. “I didn't choose to be like this.” In his home, Mr Davis has a large kitchen cupboard stacked high with boxes of macaroni and cheese.

Who made mac and cheese popular in the US? ›

Food historian Adrian Miller points out that while Thomas Jefferson often gets credit for popularizing macaroni and cheese in the United States, it was of course his enslaved black chef James Hemmings who learned to cook it. In the Antebellum South, mac and cheese was a weekend and celebration food.

What was Theodore Roosevelt's favorite food? ›

Roosevelt (1933-1945) One of FDR's preferred foods was a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, according to Henrietta Nesbitt, the White House housekeeper during his administration. Other all-American favorites included scrambled eggs, fish chowder, hot dogs, and fruitcake.

What was Thomas Jefferson's favorite food? ›

Thomas Jefferson – Mac and Cheese

A little-known fact about him, however, was his love for mac and cheese. During his time traveling in Europe, he discovered his taste for this dish, and was credited with popularizing it in the United States.

What nation eats the most mac & cheese? ›

Sure, Americans love their mac and cheese. But not as much as Canadians. In fact, Canadians love macaroni and cheese, and they love it more than anyone else in the world and consume the most macaroni and cheese per capita!

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