Creamy Tomato Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
This Creamy Tomato Macaroni & Cheese can be on your table in under 1 hour!
Welcome to January! The holidays are over, the tree is down and it’s time again for routines. And I’m more than ready for it. I love this time of year. It feels fresh, the nights are cozy and it’s the perfect time for comfort food. I actually really enjoy cooking this time of year…there is just something so comforting about hearty and comforting food in cold winter months.
The best kind of comfort food.
Hearty, yummy comfort food. But it’s got to be quick too! Most days I need to be able to get dinner on the table in one hour or less. So I’m always looking for new recipes to be able to achieve this. And I also need recipes that use ingredients that I have on hand most of the time. There’s a time for fancy recipes with fancy ingredients, but there’s nothing like having a recipe that’s simple and uses ingredients I have in the house.
And this Creamy Tomato Macaroni and Cheese is exactly that kind of recipe. If I have my dinner pantry stocked, more often than not I have all the ingredients on hand, making dinner prep easier than ever.
Ready in under 1 hour!
Not only is this dish easy to put together, but it’s quick too…you can have it on your table in under 1 hour! It’s so good for those nights when you just don’t know what to make for dinner. And the addition of tomato sneaks in some extra nutrition too!
Recipe Tips:
- Cheese: Any mild, medium or sharp Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack cheese is delicious in this dish.
- Tomatoes: I like to use canned tomatoes because the extra juice in them makes this dish nice and creamy.
- Make Ahead Tip: I put my finished macaroni in an oven proof dish, covered it, and kept it in a 300 degree oven until dinner time. (Maximum time was 15 minutes.)
Creamy Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup diced tomatoes I sometimes add 1 1/2 cups
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups cheese mild, medium or sharp Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Then drain and set aside.
- In a pan, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned.
- Add the flour to the onion mix and stir, mixing thoroughly.
- Whisk in the milk, and stir until the mixture is thickened.
- Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and oregano. Stir until the tomatoes are warmed through.
- Gradually stir in the grated and parmesan cheeses.
- Add the pasta and stir.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from All You Need is Cheese
Let’s look again… mmmmmmmmm
Looking for more delicious and simple pasta recipes?
Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli
35 minute Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
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Have a delicious day!
This post was originally published in October 2012. I just updated the photos!
You are so welcome – I’m very happy you enjoyed it! And I agree – this recipe is even better with more tomatoes! Thank you too for sharing it!
Thanks for this recipe, I was wondering when do you add in the diced tomatoes?
Hi Ammar! You can stir them in at the same time as the tomato paste…I’ve updated the recipe now with that information! Sorry about that. Enjoy!
My mom would make this with additional garlic cloves, no oregano, lesser cheese (just for garnish/condiment) plus a can of corned beef!♥ Thanx for sharing!
Oh that sounds good! 🙂
This was excellent! Thank you for sharing 🙂 I substituted the flour for almond flour and the pasta for red lentil penne for a gluten free option. It came out AMAZING!
Great recipe and incredibly easy to make. Everyone wanted second helpings!
My 15 month old gobbled this up! Thanks for sharing an easy recipe for the whole family.
Oh I love that!! I’m so happy you and your little one enjoyed this recipe!
I used Rotel tomatoes in this and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
it’s delicious! but not enough sauce for my pasta! next time I’ll make the sauce 1.5x 🙂 I also put some cheese on top and baked it for a few minutes to get golden melted cheese
Amazing! I put some different things.But I put some red and green pepper and canned corn beef. I also didn’t put oregano.( my mom added bakon) very delicious! I am definitely going to use this recipe again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Kamsi…I love the changes you made!
Great recipe and incredibly easy to make. I love Macaroni & Cheese.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Ella!