Baton Rouge, La. ? Most children name macaroni and cheese as one of their favorite foods. But it’s not a homemade recipe they rave about it’s the boxed type, which is among top-selling items in supermarkets.

Try making homemade macaroni and cheese one night and see how your family likes a creamier version.

First, a history lesson. Food historians have records of Americans, even a president, eating macaroni and cheese in the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, enjoyed eating macaroni with grated cheese and butter, and he also liked a sweet macaroni pudding, according to records at Monticello, his plantation home in Virginia.

However, it isn’t until the late 1930s and the Depression that macaroni and cheese becomes the widely popular and loved food that it is today.

Basic recipes for macaroni and cheese appear as early as 1824 in Mary Randolph’s “The Virginia House-Wife.” Apparently, Randolph is no fan because she describes the dish by saying it “started out as a misconception of an Italian dish.”

In Sarah Rutledge’s “The Carolina Housewife,” written in 1847, macaroni and cheese is again identified as an “Italian Receipt,” and Rutledge’s version is similar to the macaroni and cheese recipes of today. It consists of a white sauce layered with grated cheese, in this case Parmesan cheese, and cooked macaroni and then baked for “10 minutes in a quick oven.”

More recipes appear in cookbooks from the 1880s through early 1900s. Jean Anderson says in her cookbook, the “American Century Cookbook,” that the earliest recipe she found made with “an honest-to-goodness cheese sauce” is in the “Larkin Housewives’ Cook Book” (1915).

However, it wasn’t a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese that popularized the dish; it was Kraft, says Anderson.

Kraft was the first to introduce an instant macaroni and cheese dinner, in 1937. In that year alone, Anderson writes in her “American Century Cookbook,” “8 million Kraft Dinners were sold, but their popularity soared tenfold during World War II because they were not only good meat substitutes, but also required just one ration coupon.”

Why bother making macaroni and cheese from scratch? The answer: There are people who like pasta and cheese, but don’t like the packaged mixes and you may be one of them.

There are two styles of macaroni and cheese. One combines macaroni with a cheese-flavored white sauce, which is then topped with seasoned bread crumbs and baked. The other is layered macaroni and cheese topped with a milk or milk-and-egg mixture which forms a custard when the combination is baked.

Tomato Macaroni Cheese is a version of a perennial favorite, layered custard-style, enhanced with bits of bacon and sliced tomato. Food historians have records of Americans, even a president, eating macaroni and cheese as far back as the 18th century, and the dish remains a popular choice today.

The food staff at Cook’s Illustrated magazine found a third style of macaroni and cheese preparation, which they credited to John Thorne’s “Simple Cooking” cookbook.

In the third style, the macaroni is cooked on top of the stove in a mixture of egg and evaporated milk. The cheese is stirred in and melted toward the end of the cooking time. The recipe testers at Cook’s Illustrated described Thorne’s recipe and their adaptations in the January-February 1997 issue, and rated it the best macaroni and cheese recipe they tested.

Most macaroni and cheese recipes recommend cheddar or American cheese for the dish. Both cheeses are fairly mild in flavor, and since the recipe calls for a large quantity of cheese, using a milder variety may be a good idea. Still, most Louisiana cooks prefer the taste of sharp rather than mild Cheddar, and that’s fine. If you are concerned about the cheese flavor overpowering the macaroni and creamy sauce, use a combination of mild and sharp.

I tested a reduced-fat version of a white sauce-type macaroni and cheese, and a layered custard-style enhanced with bits of bacon and sliced tomato. I liked both styles.

Here are four tried-and-true recipes for homemade macaroni and cheese:

Marvelicious Mac and Cheese

2 cups (7 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni

2 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour, salt and dry mustard and simmer for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups of the Cheddar cheese until melted. Add drained macaroni to saucepan and toss with cheese sauce.

Transfer mixture to a greased 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese on top (optional). Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Tomato Macaroni Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

4 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/2 pound bacon

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Milk to cover

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook macaroni and drain.

Cut up bacon in 1-inch pieces and fry with onions. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper.

Layer ingredients in a greased 3- or 4-quart casserole, starting with the macaroni, then sliced tomatoes, sprinkle drained bacon and onion, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese on top.

Pour milk over layers to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until browned.

Makes 6 servings.

Macaroni and Cheese Primavera

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked

2 cups broccoli florets, blanched

1 cup peas, blanched

1 cup sliced red or green bell pepper, blanched

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring frequently 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, stirring until melted.

Stir in the cooked macaroni and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly browned on top.

Makes 4 main dish servings or 8 side dish servings.

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

2 large eggs

12-ounce can evaporated milk

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces Cheddar, American or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups; use mild or sharp Cheddar, as desired)

Toasted bread crumbs or crumbled saltine crackers

Mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, Tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and dry mustard in a small bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the macaroni; cook until almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return the macaroni to the pan over low heat. Add butter and toss to melt.

Pour the egg mixture over the buttered noodles along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining evaporated milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes.Serve immediately, topped with toasted bread crumbs or crumbled saltine crackers.

Makes 4 main course servings or 6 to 8 side dish servings.