Baked Macaroni n’ Cheese
Growing up, my Mom always made us her baked macaroni n’ cheese recipe with roasted tomatoes. At that time, I always hated when she would add tomatoes to the macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup salted butter, or 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons AP flour , all purpose flour
- 1.5 cups 2% milk
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into smaller cubes for easy melting
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup pasta water , used to thin out the cheese sauce if it tightens.
- 28 ounces whole roasted tomatoes, drain off the juice and give them a rough chop. I like larger pieces in my recipe.
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, panko, or Italian will work
optional: cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes
Equipment
- pasta pot
- colander
- oven safe saute pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare the pasta:
- Boil a pot of water and cook the elbow macaroni noodles according to the package. (al dente preferred) Reserve a 1/2 cup of water. Drain the pasta in a colander and set the pasta aside.
- In an oven-safe pan, add the butter and AP flour over medium heat to form a roux.
- Once the roux begins to bubble, slowly add the milk to form a béchamel sauce.
- Once the sauce is creamy, no lumps add the Velveeta and mozzarella cheese. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until well combined. You want the cheese to be fully melted.
- When the cheese sauce is ready, add the cooked pasta into the pan and coat the pasta in the cheese sauce. If the cheese sauce begins to tighten, you can add some of the reserved pasta water. Use as much as you like or until the cheese sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Drain the whole roasted tomatoes and chop them into large pieces. Gently fold the tomatoes into the macaroni and cheese. You do not want to over stir the tomatoes, or they will break down.
- Top the entire dish with the breadcrumbs and bake covered for 20 minutes. Broil uncovered for 1-2 minutes for an extra crispy top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 1061mg, Potassium: 374mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1260IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 411mg, Iron: 2mg