Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November each year. The holiday marks a harvest feast shared by early settlers and Native Americans back in 1621. There was no mac and cheese at that supper. More like corn, shellfish, and roasted deer meat.

Today, American cooks prepare mac and cheese from coast to coast. Ingredients and seasonings vary from town to town. Why? The United States is a big place. People with many different heritages live there. And diversity often means ingenuity—imagination at work.

Vermont: A Cheese Lover’s Paradise

A popular version of mac and cheese among Vermonters: Vermont cheddar, Gruyère, and a hint of creamy Brie. These are paired with local ingredients such as maple syrup or crispy bacon.

Maine: Lobster Mac and Cheese Delight

Maine = lobster. And mac and cheese is no exception to the rule. Fresh shellfish fancies up mac and cheese in this state.

New Hampshire: A Nod to Tradition

New Hampshire’s mac and cheese is all about tradition. Macaroni is coated in a creamy cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar, butter, and milk. 

Wisconsin: The Cheese State’s Pride

Wisconsin is the “Cheese State.” Wisconsin mac and cheese oozes with local cheeses, including Wisconsin cheddar, Swiss, and Colby.

Connecticut: Coastal Comfort

Connecticut-style mac and cheese is creamy and rich. Crab or shrimp boosts the cheesy goodness. 

Beethoven’s Mac and Cheese

The famous composer didn’t celebrate American Thanksgiving, of course. He was German. Ludwig van Beethoven did celebrate mac and cheese though. His biographer says it was one of his favorite foods. Beethoven’s macaroni didn’t come in a box with a little packet of cheese sauce. Oh no. It was called “Macaroni mit Parmesan-Käse.” It combined noodles with fancy Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese sent from Italy.