Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts

Monday, March 6, 2023

Tomato Macaroni and Cheese






This is not the prettiest plate of food I've ever prepared, but it certainly delivered on flavor. In my quest to always pack more veggies into every meal, I've attacked even our beloved macaroni and cheese. By under-cooking the pasta, draining, and then adding a can of diced tomatoes (juice and all) to the pot, the pasta not only finishes cooking but it gains a ton of flavor from the tomatoes. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups dry (uncooked) elbow macaroni
  • 1 14-ounce can petite diced canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk (I used non-fat)
  • 1 14-ounce can cheddar cheese soup
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon powdered onion (not onion salt)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of table salt and then stir in the elbow macaroni. Stir frequently so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta water aside.
  4. Add the pasta back into the pot; stir in the diced canned tomatoes and then cover and set the pot aside for 5 minutes. Note--the pan is no longer on the heat. After your 5-minute wait, the pasta should be al dente. Set aside.
  5. Add the flour to a large saucepan or saute pan. I used a large oven-safe saute pan so that I could create the sauce and bake the macaroni in the same pot (saving a dish is never a bad thing). Heat over medium until melted; stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You want the flour to cook but not brown.
  6. Stir in the milk all at once; stir constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Add the soup and seasonings. 
  7. If you have used a large, oven-safe saute pan simply fold the cooked elbow macaroni into the sauce. If you used a saucepan, pour your cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and then spread in a greased oven-safe casserole dish.
  8. Combine the olive oil and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni.
  9. Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.


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