Happy Sunday, turophiles! We’re rolling into 2019, and most of us who watch the news are pretty surprised the apocalypse hasn’t arrived. However, we do have a bit of good news. Next time you make a Costco run to stock your underground bunker, pick up some mac and cheese. That’s right- Costco now sells a 27-pound bucket of mac and cheese. Even better, with an estimated shelf life of 20 years, you’ll be able to enjoy it for decades to come. So, grab yourself a bucket, make a cup of instant coffee, and catch up on all the cheesy news worth reading.

Here’s what you might have missed this week: 

• For those of you in the know, White Castle is more than just a burger joint. For a limited time, their mac and cheese bites (fried in cheddar batter, no less) are available at all locations. Try not to stampede.  
   
• Grilled cheeses lead to gang violence. Well, not really. But a proposed hot food truck was rejected by a quiet Bristol park for fear that offering grilled cheese (or “cheese toasties”) and other hot foods would encourage motorbike gangs to loiter.  
   
• Trump’s face off with House Democrats has led to a government shutdown. But it’s not all bad; a Detroit restaurant group now has a Monday special offering a free dish of its famous mac and cheese to any government employee.  
   
• To celebrate the launch of their Nacho Cheese Chicken Chalupa, Taco Bell is building a billboard in Toronto that will dispense nacho cheese.  
   
• We Americans love our smart devices, and a smart home cheesemaker has (almost!) arrived. Just add cultures, rennet, and milk, and you’ll have homemade cheese within a few hours.  
   
• Cheese Plate influencer Marissa Mullen (@thatcheeseplate) weighs in on the rising cheese plate trend and why we love them so much.  
• It’s important to start the day off right. Cottage cheese is no longer that soggy gloop your grandfather ate; it’s steadily gaining popularity again. Here are some ways to jazz up this up-and-comer. 

Madeline Upson

A longtime lover of cheese and wine nights, Madeline finally got to use her love of cheese as former Editorial Assistant at Culture Magazine.