Macaroni and cheese began to have new meanings and multiple identities in the Black community. Hemings’ legacy of baked mac and cheese continued long after the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1860s. Much safer (no open fire needed) inside an Instant Pot! Today, we can make easy macaroni and cheese while still incorporating the original recipe’s culinary technique. Then baked in a Dutch oven over an open-hearth fireplace stove with hot coals placed on the pot’s lid to bake. Hemings placed sharp American cheese in between layers of butter and milk-coated macaroni. Baked mac and cheese is initially cooked by Hemings in a mixture of boiling water and milk. A notable African American chef who helped create and define American cuisine as we know it today.Īccording to Netflix’s soul food documentary High On The Hog, where an all-Black creative team tells the story of African American food. James Hemings was a highly trained cook known to many modern-day chefs and culinary historians alike. Southern b aked mac and cheese the James Hemings way – At eight years old, he becomes one of Thomas Jefferson’s many enslaved at his Monticello plantation.Īt age 19, Jefferson takes young Hemings with him to France to train in the art of French cooking.ĭid a Black person invent mac and cheese? Known initially as macaroni pie, baked mac and cheese was created by James Hemings, an African American enslaved and trained as a culinary chef in France. And this yummy dish has a really old history. Watch the video – How to make soul food baked macaroni and cheeseĪfrican-American macaroni and cheese recipes Why is Southern baked mac and cheese so important to Black culture?īaked mac and cheese is just one of the many soul food cuisines turned American dishes.

We call this Black folks baked mac and cheese – an authentic soul food dish easy for anyone to make! This recipe is made with rich, creamy cheese sauce and Southern comfort soul food flavorings baked ’til the edges are crispy and browned to taste like someone stewed over it in the kitchen all day! One such variation is Southern baked mac and cheese – the soul food way! There are many variations of the classic dish macaroni and cheese. It’s a staple for soul food Sundays, summer cookouts, Juneteenth celebrations, and always a featured item at a soul food Thanksgiving or on a Black folks Christmas dinner menu.Įven though I love macaroni and cheese, I don’t always want to make it the traditional way. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite Southern comfort soul foods and a favorite of many households.

Southern soul food baked mac and cheese – the Black folks way!

Mac n cheese cheeses include