Macaroni and cheese with tomatoes

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This Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes recipe is comfort food at its finest and made with 3 simple ingredients - elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, and canned tomatoes. It's easy and quick to make and uses ingredients you already have on hand.

Mac and Cheese with tomatoes being lifted out of red bowl with spoon

This old fashioned baked Macaroni and Cheese is especially popular at holiday meals, such as Thanksgiving but it makes a great meal or side dish any time of the year! I love to serve it with Slow Cooker Pulled Pork!

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🍒Reader Review
Why You'll Love This Recipe
🥘Ingredients Notes
📖 Variations & Substitutions
Top Tip
🔪How to Make Macaroni, Cheese & Tomatoes
🌡️Storage
👪 Serving Size
🥗 What to serve with Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
❔FAQ's
🍝More Pasta Recipes!
📋 Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes Recipe

🍒Reader Review

"Delicious, brings back memories" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This Macaroni cheese and tomatoes was not only my son’s very first real solid food (aside from pablum), it was my daughter's and also mine. My Great Grandmother used to make this homemade macaroni for my Grandma and then for her daughter (my mom). And when I need comfort, this is exactly what I yearn for.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Only 3 ingredients. It doesn't get much easier than 3 ingredients!
Real food. What I love most about this macaroni, tomatoes, and cheese recipe is that it is made with real ingredients - the same ingredients that have been around for generations.
Quick and Easy. I love that this recipe is so quick and easy to make in about 30 minutes.
Family Friendly. This recipe is perfect for toddlers, kids, and adults alike.

This Easy Tuna Casserole (with macaroni) and this Macaroni Salad (with Tuna) are also serious comfort food recipes!

Although I've been making it for myself and my kids for years, it's still waaay better if my mom makes it! But isn't everything so much better when your Mom makes it?

Mac and Cheese in a white casserole bowl with wooden spoon scooping it out

I recently reconnected with an old friend from elementary school and out of the blue she said she still remembered my Mom's old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese! And while I'm sure other people out there make it this way, I've never actually come across anyone who does.

🥘Ingredients Notes

ingredients in macaroni and cheese with tomatoes labelled in glass bowls

Elbow macaroni noodles. Elbow macaroni is the most common pasta used for mac and cheese and the small, hollow pasta is good at capturing sauces.
Canned Diced tomatoes. I use canned diced tomatoes because they are easy and economical.
Sharp cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese is the best cheese to use for this dish because it has a low melting point and keeps the texture smooth. Sharp cheddar is ideal because its flavor is more prominent and 'sharper', which goes well with macaroni and tomatoes. *I use low-fat sharp/old cheddar cheese

📖 Variations & Substitutions

Cheddar - if you prefer, you can use mild or medium cheddar.
Macaroni- you can use whole wheat pasta (macaroni) or Smart Pasta ( see top tip) or use another type of tubular pasta, such as rotini. I use Smart Pasta in my Leftover Ham and Macaroni Soup , and in many other pasta dishes.
Lactose -free - You can use lactose-free cheese for this recipe - I have done it many times for my daughter.
Tomatoes - you can use canned whole tomatoes and cut them up yourself. You could also use stewed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes as a substitute.

Top Tip

Smart pasta tends to cook faster than whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fiber than white pasta. Although it’s not quite as healthy as whole wheat, you are still getting those additional benefits. You can read more about smart pasta here.

🔪How to Make Macaroni, Cheese & Tomatoes

Step 1: Cook elbow macaroni to al dente (see NOTES in recipe card), as per package instructions. * I add some olive oil to prevent it from sticking, but that's optional. Drain macaroni through a colander.

Step 2: Return to pot, casserole dish, or baking dish, and add tomatoes.

Step 3: Mix tomatoes into macaroni, stirring with a large spoon.

baked macaroni, cheese and tomatoes on a trivet with red oven mitts in the background

Step 4: Heat oven to broil (500 degrees F) and top with shredded cheese. Baking Time: Bake macaroni and cheese with tomatoes on the middle rack under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned (to your preference). * I put an old cookie sheet underneath to prevent spills from dripping down. * Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. I like to sprinkle a little salt on it. Serve hot!

HINT: I put a cookie sheet underneath to prevent spills from dripping down. * Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. And watch it extra closely if you are using low-fat cheese, as it tends to burn faster.

🌡️Storage

Store leftover mac and cheese with tomatoes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you are only storing it overnight, you can cover it in plastic wrap.

Can I freeze this recipe?

You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To Reheat:

Defrost it in the fridge overnight, then microwave it until warm. You can also reheat it in the oven like a casserole:

I love using this casserole reheating technique for any pasta casserole- it prevents the casserole from drying out.

Simply bring it out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost (preferably in the fridge). Ideally, you want to keep it at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before you put it in the oven.
Then heat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C, remove the lid and plastic wrap, then tightly seal your casserole dish with aluminum foil (shiny side in) and put it in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until it's warmed through. *you can remove the foil and broil it for the final 2 minutes if you desire. *Alternatively, you can tent it, if your cheese is right to the top of the casserole dish, as mine is.
You can use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure it's done (165 degrees F/75 degrees C)

macaroni cheese and tomatoes in red bowl

👪 Serving Size

This macaroni and cheese recipe makes 6 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🥗 What to serve with Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Aside from chopped fresh vegetables, I like to serve mac and cheese with these dishes:

❔FAQ's

What cheese is best for making mac & cheese?

Sharp cheddar is best because it has a low melting point and keeps the texture smooth. Sharp cheddar is ideal because its flavor is more prominent, which melds well with the macaroni and cheese.

Can I freeze this recipe?

I have frozen it many times and it still tastes great! Although, obviously it's much better fresh. But because there isn't any milk in it, like many mac and cheese recipes, this one freezes quite well.

The mac and cheese with tomatoes has become the ultimate comfort food for my kids as much as it is for me and I'm sure that this recipe will continue comforting many more generations....

I hope you get as much comfort from this cheese and tomato macaroni as we do!

🍝More Pasta Recipes!

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