Overview

Madison is a classic elbow macaroni in a creamy scratch made bechamel with real wisconsin cheddar jack cheese, topped with buttery panko breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

macaroni elbows, creamy bechamel sauce, panko bread crumbs Full ingredient list

Dietary notes

vegetarian, kid-friendly

Tasting notes

Flavor

Wisconsin cheddar, fresh milk and real butter make this the most kid-adored meal we've offered to date

Texture

Oooey gooey pullable cheddar jack cheese accentuates rich béchamel and tender noodles, while crunchy butter-seared panko bread crumbs provide balance

Pairings

The rich, buttery mouthfeel of this dish pairs best with something crisp and cleansing. We recommend Stem's Pear Cider [Denver] or Ratio's Dear You Saison [Denver]

How Wisconsin became THE dairy capital of the US

The western population of the Wisconsin territory was filled largely with rural subsistence farmers, specializing in wheat, which grew well in the region and had low startup costs for new farms. By mid-century, the state was producing an incredible 1/6th of our young nation's supply.

By the time of its statehood in 1848 however, overworked soil, competition, and a plague of picky-eating chinch mites had destroyed wheat fields, but spared those growing alfalfa, largely used to feed livestock.

In an effort to grow the new states economy and poach commercial know-how, Wisconsin began nearly giving away land to ambitious first-generation immigrants from the East.

And as the recently completed 350 mile manmade Erie Canal that connected the Great Lakes and New York City's Hudson river reduced shipping costs by a whopping 95%, German and Scandinavian immigrants poured out of New York state, into Milwaukee.

With centuries of generational dairy farming experience, a new booming trade with NYC, and with wheat fields quickly converting to alfalfa, dairy business exploded overnight.

Recognizing the opportunity, the University of Wisconsin developed the country's premiere agricultural school, training farmers, growing trade organizations, and dedicating large portions of their campus to dairy research. By 1899, over 90% of Wisconsin's farms were raising dairy.

Today you don't need to look far to see the evidence of Wisconsin's German ancestry, from the Brewers of Milwaukee, to the Packers of Green Bay, whose naming rights were given by Curly Lambeau in exchange for team jerseys from the meatpacking company for which he worked.

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