Hemmings learned French cooking techniques while in Europe with Jefferson before he was president, and when they returned to the states, Hemming put his own spin on macaroni and cheese. But it was Jefferson's enslaved Black chef James Hemmings who perfected the recipe. It is possible that he helped popularize macaroni and cheese, though, because he likely served it to dinner guests while president. Jefferson wasn't the first to introduce macaroni (with or without cheese) to America, nor did he invent the recipe.

The dish was primarily reserved for the upper classes until the Industrial Revolution made pasta production easier.Īmateur historians have often credited Thomas Jefferson with introducing macaroni and cheese to the United States. In colonial America, casserole dishes similar to today's mac and cheese were served at New England church suppers, where they probably originated from 'receipts,' or recipes, passed along from English relatives.

From then on, macaroni and cheese grew in popularity across Europe.

The sims make mac n cheese