As we mark the centennial of Black History Month in 2026, it’s fitting to celebrate not just the monumental achievements and resilience of Black Americans, but also the cultural gems that have nourished communities for generations. While history books chronicle civil rights movements and trailblazing leaders, there’s profound meaning in exploring the foods that have sustained families through joy and hardship alike. Baked mac and cheese—creamy, golden, and soul-satisfying—stands as one of the most beloved dishes in Black American cuisine, a comfort food that transcends generations and brings people together around tables from Sunday dinners to holiday celebrations.

The story of baked mac and cheese in Black American history is one of culinary ingenuity and cultural adaptation. Though macaroni and cheese arrived in America through European influences—famously popularized by Thomas Jefferson after his travels to France—it was enslaved and later freed Black cooks in the American South who transformed this simple pasta dish into something transcendent. Using whatever ingredients were available, often the scraps and less desirable cuts from the plantation kitchens where they worked, Black cooks created rich, baked versions that elevated macaroni and cheese from a basic side dish to a cornerstone of soul food. They added extra cheese, eggs for binding, and baked it until a golden crust formed on top, turning scarcity into abundance through skill and creativity.

Today, baked mac and cheese remains a non-negotiable presence at Black family gatherings, church potlucks and holiday feasts. In honoring one hundred years of Black History Month, what better way to celebrate than by acknowledging a dish we all know and love, one that tells a story of  the enduring power of food to build community.

The History of Mac & Cheese:

@sojomuseum

Remember when we talked about the man who invented mac & cheese? James Hemmings had a crazy family dynamic with Thomas Jefferson: the man who enslaved him and also took credit for his inventions. . . . . #FentySuperBrandDay#fyp#blackhistory#history#museum

♬ original sound – Sojourner Truth Museum

From European Origins to Southern Transformation

Macaroni and cheese first gained prominence in America through Thomas Jefferson, who encountered the dish during his diplomatic travels in France and Italy in the 1780s. Upon returning to Monticello, Jefferson had his enslaved chef James Hemings prepare the dish using a pasta machine Jefferson had brought back from Europe. However, the macaroni and cheese served in Jefferson’s dining room was a far cry from the baked, soul-satisfying version that would later become a staple of Black Southern cuisine.

It was the enslaved cooks working in plantation kitchens throughout the South who reimagined this European import into something entirely new. These cooks, working with limited resources and often relegated to using ingredients deemed undesirable by enslavers, applied African cooking techniques and their own culinary creativity to transform mac and cheese. They baked the dish to create a crispy, golden top layer, added extra layers of cheese for richness, and incorporated eggs to create a custard-like texture that held together when sliced.

Food historians like Toni Tipton-Martin have documented how these innovations became foundational to what we now recognize as soul food. In The Jemima Code, Tipton-Martin presents evidence of baked macaroni and cheese recipes appearing in African American cookbooks as early as the 19th century, demonstrating that Black cooks were not simply following European recipes but creating their own distinct versions that would be passed down through generations.

A Living Legacy on Every Table

Walk into any Black family reunion, church homecoming, or holiday dinner, and you’ll find baked mac and cheese holding a place of honor on the table. It sits alongside collard greens, fried chicken, and sweet potato pie—dishes that collectively tell the story of Black American culinary heritage. But mac and cheese occupies a special place in this pantheon, perhaps because it represents the perfect intersection of comfort, celebration and memory.

The recipes vary widely from family to family, with each version fiercely defended as the “right” way to make it. Some swear by sharp cheddar, while others blend multiple cheeses for complexity.

This living tradition continues to evolve while maintaining its essential character. Young Black chefs and home cooks share their versions on social media, sparking passionate discussions about technique and tradition. Food bloggers document their family recipes, ensuring they won’t be lost to time. And at every gathering, the mac and cheese is judged with the kind of serious attention usually reserved for championship competitions. Because it matters.

In celebrating one hundred years of Black History Month, acknowledging baked mac and cheese means recognizing that Black history lives in our kitchens and on our plates, in the recipes we protect and the tables where we gather.

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