Macaroni and cheese was created to be a common casserole, similar to the British dish cauliflower cheese. The main ingredients of macaroni and cheese are cooked macaroni and a cheese sauce, usually made from cheddar cheese. By the eighteenth century, various versions of the meal were well known all over Europe.
Canadian born James L. Kraft started a wholesale door-to-door cheese business in Chicago in 1903; its first year of operations was “dismal”, losing $3,000 and a horse. Still, the business took hold and Kraft was joined by his four brothers to form J.L. Kraft and Bros. Company in 1909. As early as 1911, circulars and advertisements were in use by the company. In 1912, the company established its New York headquarters to prepare for its international expansion. By 1914, 31 varieties of cheeses were being sold around the United States, due to heavy product development, expansion by marketing, and opening a wholly-owned cheese factory in Illinois.