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Old-Fashioned Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

Monday, April 14, 2025 2:01

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From the minute I saw this Old-Fashioned Tomato Macaroni & Cheese recipe on the Kitchen Magpie the other day I had it bookmarked as something I just HAD to make!

Macaroni & Cheese with tomatoes is something I have always made for my family and something they had always loved. Usually, I just use a tin of chopped tomatoes drained and I stir it into the macaroni and cheese.

I have also done it the old-fashioned way where you stir the tin of undrained tomatoes into the hot macaroni and then add big chunks of tomatoes prior to baking it. This was the way my grandmother always made it and it is much beloved. I also add cubes of buttered bread to it. So yummy.

For this delicious version the cheese sauce for the dish is made using half milk and half tomato juice. I thought that was rather unique. There are no spices, just salt and pepper, plain and simple.

This turned out beautiful. I knew that I would love it, and I did. The sauce was rich and unctuous. Because I had used a really good sharp cheddar (and why wouldn’t you??) and a quality tinned tomato, the flavors were amazing.

I think when something is as simple as this dish is, you really need to use the best ingredients that you can get your hands on. That way you are sure to end up with something spectacular.

Oh sure, you could probably add some browned ground beef but trust me when I tell you that you really don’t need to. This is amazing just as it is!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED TOMATO MACARONI & CHEESE

Just a few simple ingredients, but boy oh boy do they ever go together to create a fabulously tasty casserole. Prepare to be amazed!

2 cups (232g) dry uncooked macaroni
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1 cup (240ml) tomato juice
3 TBS (43g) butter
3 TBS (24g) plain all-purpose flour
3 cups (362g) strong cheddar cheese, hand grated, divided
3 1/3 cups (one 798ml/543g) tin of whole tomatoes, drained, then pull the tomatoes gently apart to drain the middles
salt and black pepper to taste

I used elbow macaroni, but I think you could use any kind of macaroni. I used to love the macaroni that I could get in the U.K. which was straight. Elbow macaroni was not something you saw very often over there. I really miss it!

Make sure you use whole full fat milk to get a lovely rich sauce. I used the tomato juice that I had drained from off of the canned tomatoes. It was rich and thick, probably thicker than canned tomato juice. I added a bit of boiling water to make up for that. See in the recipe notes below.

I just used salted butter.

I used Balderson’s Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese. White, not orange. You want to use a full-bodied cheddar with a nice strong flavor for this so that it stands out amongst the tomato.

I used Mutti tinned whole plum tomatoes in tomato juice. They are lovely. Italian tomatoes always are.

HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED TOMATO MACARONI & CHEESE

This is not at all difficult to do. I would call it an easy peasy dinner!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 liter/Qt shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Drain your tomatoes well and set aside.

Put a saucepan of salted water on to the boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the flour to combine completely. Cook for one minute and then slowly whisk in the milk until it has completely been incorporated, and the sauce is smooth. Whisk in the tomato juice.

Cook, whisking, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. (If it is too thick you may add a bit of boiling water. It all depends on how thick your tomato juice is. I used the drained juice from off of my tomatoes (they were whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice) and the juice was quite thick. I added about another half cup of boiling water to get the consistency I wanted.)

Start whisking in 2 cups (241g) of the cheese, a bit at a time, stirring to melt the cheese completely. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you cook the macaroni, stirring occasionally.

Cook the macaroni in the salted boiling water according to the package directions, just to al dente. Drain well.

Pour the drained and cooked macaroni into the baking dish. Pour the cheese tomato sauce over top and stir lightly to coat the macaroni with the sauce.

Nestle the tomatoes into the macaroni, spacing them evenly through the dish. Cover with the remaining grated cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling nicely and the cheese on top has melted.

Uncover and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this. Now all I have to do is to figure out how to make a much smaller version. (I think that won’t be too difficult to do.) This was rich and cheesy and delicious! I loved the little pocket of tomato that were really pleasing!

I think you could add a buttered bread or cracker crumb topping and it would be even tastier. I do like a bit of crunch on top of my mac and cheese.

I enjoyed this, carboholic that I am, with a side of white sourdough bread and butter. A salad would also go very nicely.

If Macaroni and Cheese is one of your favorite indulgences, then you might also enjoy the following offerings of mine, which are quite different and equally as delicious! I would call both of these real family pleasers!

MACARONI AND CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE - This delicious offering combines two favorites. A tasty, glazed meatloaf on the bottom and a rich and cheesy macaroni and cheese on top. The two together are amazing! This is a real favorite of anyone who tastes it!

MACARONI SHEPHERD’S PIE - If you like Shepherd’s Pie and you like Macaroni and Cheese, you will love this! It has a delicious and meaty shepherd’s pie filling on the bottom, loaded with flavor, with a rich macaroni and cheese layer on top and finished off with buttery breadcrumbs for the win! This is the ultimate comfort food casserole!

Yield: Serves 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Old-Fashioned Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

I just had to try this. Mac and Cheese with tomatoes has long been a favorite of mine. I loved the tomato cheese sauce in this and the lovely chunks of tomato throughout. This recipe is a winner all around!

Ingredients

2 cups (232g) dry uncooked macaroni
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1 cup (240ml) tomato juice
3 TBS (43g) butter
3 TBS (24g) plain all-purpose flour
3 cups (362g) strong cheddar cheese, hand grated, divided
3 1/3 cups (one 798ml/543g) tin of whole tomatoes, drained, then pull the tomatoes gently apart to drain the middles
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 liter/Qt shallow baking dish. Set aside.
Drain your tomatoes well and set aside.
Put a saucepan of salted water on to the boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, make the sauce.
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the flour to combine completely. Cook for one minute and then slowly whisk in the milk until it has completely been incorporated, and the sauce is smooth. Whisk in the tomato juice.
Cook, whisking, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. (If it is too thick you may add a bit of boiling water. It all depends on how thick your tomato juice is.)
Start whisking in 2 cups (241g) of the cheese, a bit at a time, stirring to melt the cheese completely. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you cook the macaroni, stirring occasionally.
Cook the macaroni in the salted boiling water according to the package directions, just to al dente. Drain well.
Pour the drained and cooked macaroni into the baking dish. Pour the cheese tomato sauce over top and stir lightly to coat the macaroni with the sauce.
Nestle the tomatoes into the macaroni, spacing them evenly through the dish. Cover with the remaining grated cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling nicely and the cheese on top has melted.
Uncover and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
Leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Debunking the myths of English Cookery, one recipe at a time.
The English Kitchen
http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/

Source: https://www.theenglishkitchen.co/2025/04/old-fashioned-tomato-macaroni-cheese.html

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