Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes: Comfort Food

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

This Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes is a cozy and rosy, tomato-kissed mac and cheese that feels like a warm hug in a bowl! It’s all about a rich and creamy cheese sauce and petite diced tomatoes.

A white bowl filled with creamy macaroni and cheese topped with chopped herbs, sitting in front of a casserole dish containing more of the same macaroni and cheese on a dark wooden table.

Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Pasta
Key Ingredients for Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
Equipment Needed
Tips for Making Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
Substitutions and Variations
Serving Suggestions
Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes Recipe

Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Pasta

This dish brings back memories and offers simple comfort. It’s an affordable, easy-to-prepare meal that families have cherished for generations, and it can be easily adapted with various cheeses, additions like chicken, or herbs and spices. You can even spice it up a bit by using canned tomatoes with green chiles. This recipe takes the fundamental idea and enhances it slightly, introducing layers of flavor while still keeping its basic simplicity. Whether you need a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting lunch, this macaroni and tomato recipe is guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters. Enjoy! ~Nicole

Key Ingredients for Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Overhead view of ingredients on a white surface: shredded cheese, milk in a glass measuring cup, diced tomatoes, elbow macaroni, chopped parsley, flour, a stick of butter, broth in a small pitcher, and a spice in a small bowl.

Elbow-Shaped Macaroni is the classic and preferred pasta for this recipe. Its hollow, C-shaped design is excellent at holding sauces, ensuring that each bite is packed with flavor.

Petite Diced Tomatoes are small, evenly chopped tomatoes, typically preserved in juice, making them perfect for a range of recipes, especially this pasta dish. They hold their shape during cooking, enhancing both flavor and texture in dishes.

Sharp Cheddar and Gruyère Cheese are my cheeses of choice for this recipe. The cheddar provides a bold, sharpness, and the Gruyère adds a rich, nutty flavor that cannot be achieved with all cheddar. I grate the cheese using my food processor.

Unsalted Butter, All-Purpose Flour, and Cayenne Pepper are needed to make a blonde roux with a kick of heat. As the mixture heats up, the starches in the flour lose their raw taste while the fat coats the grains, preventing them from sticking together.

Half-and-Half and Chicken Stock are the rich liquids that form the sauce. This combination will yield a rich, savory sauce.

Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsely adds a bright color and a little freshness to finish the dish.

Equipment Needed

14-cup food processor to grate the cheeses
Large Dutch oven
10-inch saucepan
Wire whisk
9 x 13-inch baking dish
Quarter sheet pan
Sporks for digging in!

A white pot on a stove contains cooked elbow macaroni pasta and a pile of diced tomatoes, ready to be mixed together.

A metal whisk stirring a bubbling mixture of flour and fat in a stainless steel pan on a stovetop, making a light brown roux.

Tips for Making Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

In a large Dutch Oven, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Stir in macaroni and cook just until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Return the pasta to the Dutch oven and add the tomatoes with their juices, and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Set aside. While the pasta boils, place a 9 x 13-inch baking dish on a quarter rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cayenne pepper, whisking until golden blonde.
Whisk in the half-and-half and Chicken Stock slowly until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Off the heat, whisk the cheeses, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Pour the yummy sauce over the pasta mixture and stir together all of the goodness!
Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish set on the baking sheet. It is a heavy dish, so this helps for easy oven placement and removal. Bake in a 400°F preheated oven until just golden on top, about 15-20 minutes.

*Note– let the baked dish rest for 10-15 minutes, otherwise it will be soupy, and you’ll burn your mouth! 🔥

*Make Ahead– this dish can be made in advance through Step 2 in the recipe card. Allow it to cool and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover with a sheet of foil, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Substitutions and Variations

This is where you can have fun creating and customizing with different flavors and combinations, although I do recommend making it this way first.

Elbow-shaped pasta is the classic shape. You can use any bite-sized pasta that will hold the cream sauce, like pipe regate, cavatappi, lumache, or medium shells.
If you can’t find Gruyère, substitute it with Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler.
Experiment with different cheeses and combinations. Want to add a different heat? Try using Pepper Jack or a Chipotle Cheddar. Mozzarella is always an excellent melting cheese
Try using canned tomatoes with green chiles, like Ro-tel, or add a smoky flavor using fire-roasted tomatoes.
Use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock to make it vegetarian.
Add fresh herbs, like basil, chives, or cilantro.
Add another vegetable, like onion or broccoli.
Add diced cooked chicken to make a full meal.

When adding extra vegetables or protein, err on the lighter side to avoid overloading the dish.

A white bowl filled with creamy macaroni and cheese mixed with diced tomatoes and topped with melted cheese and chopped herbs, sitting on a wooden table.

Serving Suggestions

This Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes is a hearty meal on its own, served in a bowl with sporks, but a simple green salad, like my Bibb Lettuce Salad with House Vinaigrette or my Kale Caesar Salad on the Light Side are always a nice accompaniment.

A green vegetable side, such as Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic Wedges, or Roasted Asparagus with Shallot and Chives, would be an excellent pairing.

As for protein, my favorite Simple Roast Chicken is always a staple on the family dinner menu. Southern Fried Chicken or Homemade Chicken Nuggets would complete the plate.

Here’s a dinner scenario that will certainly be tasty: scoop a generous serving of mac-n-cheese into a bowl, pile on some Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork or Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket, and drizzle the top with some sauce! That’s a winner dinner!

Can I freeze these leftovers?

Yes! Whether you’re freezing an entire casserole or just the leftovers from dinner, ensure that the mac and cheese has cooled down completely to room temperature first. This helps to avoid condensation and freezer burn. If you’re preparing a batch specifically for freezing, aluminum foil trays are a great choice—they’re lightweight, stackable, and can go directly from the freezer to the oven. Wrap your pan securely in several layers of plastic wrap, then cover it with foil to seal it. This prevents air, odors, and ice crystals from getting in. When stored properly, mac and cheese can last in the freezer for up to three months.

To reheat the frozen portions, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours and reheat at 350°F for 25 minutes or until warmed through.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes! You can use an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, or you can make the whole recipe and put half of it into an 8 x 8-inch aluminum pan and save it for another meal

A serving of baked macaroni and cheese topped with toasted bread cubes sits on a white plate, with a fork and knife nearby and a casserole dish in the background. — **Baked Macaroni and Cheese**

Bite-sized baked macaroni and cheese cups are arranged on a white plate, with a golden brown, crispy topping visible on each portion. — **Baked Macaroni and Cheese**

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases that you make from the links within my posts and recipe cards with no added cost to you.”