When is National Mac and Cheese Day?
National Mac and Cheese Day 2027 is on Wednesday
Wednesday, July 14, 2027
July 14 every year. That's in 270 days.
until National Mac and Cheese Day begins, in your time zone
National Mac and Cheese Day is an informal US food holiday for macaroni and cheese, the baked or stovetop pasta dish that has moved from early American dinner tables to boxed weeknight suppers and holiday side dishes.
About National Mac and Cheese Day
Pasta with cheese is an old European pairing, and macaroni was already known in America by the late 1700s. In the United States the dish is often linked to Thomas Jefferson, but Monticello's own research says he neither invented it nor introduced it. What the record does show is that Jefferson had a pasta mold bought for him in Naples in 1789, that a macaroni recipe survives in his handwriting and was most likely dictated by one of the enslaved cooks in his household, such as James Hemings or Edith Hern Fossett, and that a guest at the President's House in 1802 described being served a macaroni pie. Mary Randolph's cookbook The Virginia House-Wife, an early American classic, includes macaroni dressed with cheese.
The dish took on a new life in 1937, when a packaged macaroni and cheese mix went on sale in the United States and Canada. The Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles notes that wartime food rationing and the growing number of women working outside the home helped make the quick boxed version a household staple.
No founder or founding year is documented for National Mac and Cheese Day, and it has no government status. Restaurants, local news outlets and home cooks keep it each July.
Sources: Monticello (Thomas Jefferson Foundation): Macaroni (archived), Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles: Kraft Dinner, WPTV: National Mac and Cheese Day is July 14. How we check dates.
How to mark National Mac and Cheese Day
- Bake a from-scratch version with a simple white sauce, sharp cheddar and a crisp breadcrumb top.
- Compare a creamy stovetop mac and cheese with a firm, sliceable baked one and see which your household prefers.
- Try a different cheese mix, such as Gruyère with white cheddar, or smoked gouda with Parmesan.
- Add vegetables like roasted broccoli, peas or butternut squash to make it a fuller meal.
- Read Monticello's research on the enslaved cooks behind Jefferson's macaroni and how the dish entered early American cooking.
National Mac and Cheese Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Monday, July 14, 2025 |
| 2026 | Tuesday, July 14, 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, July 14, 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, July 14, 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, July 14, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, July 14, 2030 |
| 2031 | Monday, July 14, 2031 |
Also on July 14
Related days
Explore
Frequently asked questions
When is National Mac and Cheese Day 2027?
National Mac and Cheese Day 2027 is on Wednesday, July 14, 2027. It falls on July 14 every year. In 2028, it is on Friday, July 14, 2028.
Did Thomas Jefferson invent macaroni and cheese?
No. Monticello's historians say he did not invent or introduce it, though pasta was served at his table and a macaroni recipe survives in his hand, most likely dictated by an enslaved cook.
When did boxed macaroni and cheese appear?
A packaged macaroni and cheese mix went on sale in the US and Canada in 1937, and it became popular during World War II food rationing.
Is National Mac and Cheese Day a public holiday?
No. National Mac and Cheese Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.