📋 Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes Recipe

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

5 from 6 votes

📋 Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes Recipe

This old fashioned baked Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes is made with 3 simple ingredients - macaroni, cheddar cheese and tomatoes. This mac and cheese with tomatoes is real food and comfort food at its finest!

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine American, Canadian

Keyword cheese, Mac and cheese, macaroni, tomatoes

Special Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 576kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

375 g -box of uncooked elbow macaroni *about 2 cups of dry macaroni * I use Smart pasta (see post)
28 oz -can diced tomatoes *do NOT drain
500 g - package of sharp/old cheddar cheese, grated * about 5 cups of shredded cheese *add more (or less) to your liking
1 teaspoon olive, vegetable or canola oil (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oven to broil -500 degrees F/260 degrees C.
Cook macaroni in large pot on stovetop to al dente, as per package directions.
*I add a little (1 tsp) olive oil to prevent it from sticking, but that's optional.
When cooked, drain macaroni through colander.
Return to pot or casserole dish and add tomatoes.
Mix tomatoes into macaroni.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake macaroni and cheese with tomatoes on middle rack under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned (to your preference). * I put a cookie sheet underneath to prevent spills from dripping down. * Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.
Serve hot.

Notes

*Al dente pasta is firm when bitten without being hard or chalky.

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.

Nutrition