Life

Here’s How To Get Mac & Cheese On The Cheap For National Mac & Cheese Day

by Brandi Neal
Monica Schipper/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The best holiday of the year is today, and that can only mean one thing: National Mac And Cheese Day 2018 deals and freebies. Because the only thing better than eating mac and cheese is eating free mac and cheese and being treated to top-secret mac and cheese recipes. While macaroni and cheese has been around for millennia, it first hit the scene in the U.S. in 1789 when then American ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson had a macaroni-making machine sent to him from his French friends, the Chicago Tribune reported.

It's thought that Jefferson made mac and cheese popular among his peers by serving it to guests and writing down the first recorded recipe. While originally a food for the bourgeoisie, mac and cheese was introduced to the masses by Kraft in 1937 during the Great Depression. It became popular, according to Smithsonian magazine, because it could feed a family of four for 19 cents. Mac and cheese became even more beloved during WWII when other food products were rationed.

Basically, mac and cheese has been with us through the good times and bad, and no matter how broke you are you can usually afford to get some mac and cheese, which is why it's a staple in the diet of college students. If you want to get deals and freebies from your food BAE on National Mac and Cheese Day 2018, here's where it's all happening. You'll also want to check out #NationalMacandCheeseDay on Twitter to find all of the local deals near your. Side note: It's also National Nude Day, but you'll probably want to grab these deals fully clothed. But hey, you do you.

1Free Mac & Cheese Bagels

Your mac and cheese appreciation day can start with breakfast when you stop in at Einstein Bros. Bagels for a free mac and cheese bagel. The catch here is that the deal is only good for members of the Shmear Society rewards program, and you have to purchase something else in order to get your free mac and cheese bagel. Aside from the free bagel, you can also order two mac and cheese limited-time bagel sandwiches, which are available until the end of August. So, if you miss breakfast, you can still get your mac and cheese on for lunch.

2Mac & Cheese Melt Off Deal

If you're in the San Francisco Bay area, SPARK Social SF is hosting The Great San Francisco Mac and Cheese Melt Off. For $5 you can enjoy 20 mac and cheese food trucks and cheese out until you literally can't eat another bite.

3Win A Free Year Of Mac & Cheese

If you could use some free food, you're definitely going to want to enter the Main St. Bistro National Mac and Cheese Day contest. They'll even deliver the mac and cheese to the winner. That's not all; you'll also win a $300 gift card to a local grocery store. Head to the Main St. Bistro website to enter and make all of your mac and cheese dreams come true.

4Free Bowl Of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese

If you're a NoodlesREWARDS member, you can snag yourself a free bowl of Wisconsin mac and cheese on National Mac and Cheese Day with the purchase of a regular entree. If you're not a member, you can sign up now so you'll be all set before you order your lunch.

5Mac & Cheese Pizza Deals

If you live in Florida, head to I Heart Mac & Cheese for the new Pepperoni Pizza Mac, "a blend of pasta and its proprietary cheese blend with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, marinara, pesto, and Hormel pepperoni." You can also get mac and cheese pizza from Cicis Pizza. Because the only thing as delicious as mac and cheese is mac and cheese pizza.

6Mac & Cheese GIF Contest

Want to win some free mac and cheese from Panera for publicly sharing your love for mac and cheese? Tweet a GIF at Panera that show your devotion to your beloved mac and cheese. You can see the rules for the contest on the Panera website.

7Mac & Cheese Burger Deal

Aside from the traditional mac and cheese sandwich, you can also get mac and cheese on top of your burger. If you live near a Burgers and Brews location, they'll make all of your mac-and-cheese burger dreams come true by letting you score this mouth watering mac and cheese burger for just $5 when you buy a beverage. I mean, you're already thirsty so this is definitely a steal.

8Free Annie's Mac & Cheese

The best things in life are free, and that includes mac and cheese. If you love Annie's classic mac and cheese, head to the Annie's website, fill out a form, and snag yourself a free box of this cheesy goodness. The bad news is that you might have to wait up to six weeks for delivery. The good news is that by the time it arrives you'll likely have forgotten about it, and it will be a welcome surprise.

9Nick And Vanessa Lachey, Bob Evans Free Mac & Cheese

If you want to try out some celeb-celebrated mac and cheese recipes and enter to win free mac and cheese for a year from Bob Evans at the same time, today is the day. According to a press release, Nick and Vanessa Lachey teamed up with comfort-food restaurant Bob Evans to share their personal mac and cheese recipes.

"Vanessa's recipe, Macaroni and Cheese Toppings Bar, features Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese and can be personalized with a variety of delicious toppings such as bacon bits and roasted tomatoes, while Nick opted for a Cincinnati Inspired Mac and Cheese Burger, which is a hamburger topped with Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese, chili and finished with shredded cheese," the press release noted. After you're done whipping up these recipes, head to Facebook.com/FarmFreshIdeas through July 16 to enter to win a year's worth of free mac and cheese.

10So Many Free Mac & Cheese Recipes

Because it's sandwiched between National French Fry Day and National Ice Cream Day, mac and cheese freebies aren't as prevalent as they should be. However, the eleventy-million mac and cheese recipes on Twitter totally make up for this gaffe. You can also check out 50 mac and cheese recipes from the Food Network so you can stay inside today with your mac and cheese, in the nude (because, National Nude Day), marathoning your favorite show.