...we adore mac & cheese here at Boredwalk HQ!

We know, we know — hardly a rebellious claim. But when it comes to our (many, many) go-to comfort foods, macaroni & cheese is #1 with a bullet. Why?

• Carby & starchy? Check!

• Gooey & creamy? Check!

• Suitable for vegans & omnivores alike (with some slight modifications, of course)? Check!

• Supremely adaptable, with an ability to modify endlessly with a mere dash, pinch, or chop? Check!

And lest you think that mac & cheese is a modern creation with shallow roots in the mid-20th century, check out some of these cool facts:

• Despite the primary ingredients of pasta & cheese and their association with Italian cuisine, mac & cheese as we know it has its roots in merry olde England. The first modern recipe for it appeared in 1770 in a book by Elizabeth Raffald called The Experienced English Housekeeper.

• The first well-known usage of the dish in the United States came courtesy of Thomas Jefferson, who first encountered it in Paris and during travels through northern Italy. He loved it so much he even served it (baked, of course) at a state dinner in 1802. It doesn't get much classier than that!

• Macaroni & cheese is something of an upstart rival to Canada's official national dish, poutine, with some Canadians professing to love mac & cheese even more than poutine. We'd never presume to speak for our friendly northern neighbors; please feel free to weigh in in the comments section!

(Full disclosure: these facts — and many more — are all courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Whether you prefer the simplicity of boxed mac & cheese, or go all-out and bake it in a cast-iron skillet topped with bread crumbs & truffle oil like a seasoned gourmand, this is one dish that will always be welcome at our house. After all, mac & cheese is my therapy:

And don't even get us started on grilled cheese:

Or some of our fave varieties, for that matter! We love cheese in any language!

That's it until next week! Have a great weekend and stay safe out there!

Peace, love, and mac & cheese,

Boredwalk