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Homemade mac and cheese with tomatoes is our family’s favorite comfort food when we don’t know what to make for dinner and need a carb fix. Hot out of the oven and loaded with salt and pepper, this is one of my favorite pasta dishes. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law; she used to make it for my husband, so it’s one of his childhood comfort foods.
Change Up Your Mac n’ Cheese!
Making mac and cheese with tomatoes is a delicious and affordable way to change up your mac and cheese. It’s very old-fashioned, and perhaps it was born from the endless supply of stewed canned tomatoes in so many farm pantries so many years ago!
Tomatoes in Mac and Cheese
My Grandma and my Aunt used to put whole canned tomatoes in their mac and cheese; that is the BEST thing you will ever eat if you are a tomato lover. This dish is as close as I can get to what I used to eat with them, but man, it makes me wish I could get my hands on my Grandma’s canned tomatoes again.
This dish is not full of spices and complex flavor layers; it’s simple, cheesy, and tomato-ey. If you love that combination, this is the pasta recipe for you!
Whole Canned Tomatoes
For the tomato flavor, I use whole canned tomatoes in addition to the tomato juice that goes into the roux. You can grab a can of your favorite canned plum tomatoes, drain the juice, and use it in this dish.
I have used diced tomatoes, but I find that whole tomatoes you can cut and eat after it’s cooked are better than diced up tomatoes cooked in the pasta.
Let me know if you try it and what you think in the comments below!
Happy cooking!
Karlynn
Old-Fashioned Tomato Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- one 798 ml can whole tomatoes drained then pierced to let the juice drain from the middle as well
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a two-quart casserole dish and set aside.
- Fill a large pot with water and add approximately one tablespoon of salt for every 2 liters (2 quarts) of water. Place the pot on your stove on high heat and cover to bring to a boil while you prepare the cheese sauce.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until it resembles coarse sand and is clumped together.
- Pour in a small amount of milk, whisking into the flour mixture until incorporated. Keep adding in small amounts, whisking, until all of the milk has been added and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the tomato juice.
- Add in 2 cups of shredded cheese by handfuls, stirring to melt it in completely after each handful. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting to only keep it warm. Continue to stir occasionally while preparing the pasta.
- The water should be boiling by now, so prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water, then transfer to the greased casserole dish.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles in the casserole. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Nestle the drained tomatoes into the pasta, spacing them throughout the dish.
- Top with the extra cheese.
- Bake covered in the oven for 25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted. If you want to brown the top, remove the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
Cynthia D Wilson says
My mom always made it this way and I forgot about it until I saw your recipe . Thanks, I am going to make this dish sooner and later .
Karlynn says
I am so glad! This is one of my top five favourite comfort foods. I hope you love it!
Fran says
Memories of my childhood. So good!
Karlynn says
I’m so glad!
Lynda Nolan says
Recipe at end says bake uncovered. Then says at end if you want it browned remove cover! ????? Doesn’t make sense. Otherwise sounds good!!
Karlynn Johnston says
Thanks for catching that, I fixed it!