This creamy soup features everything you love about mac and cheese, but in a soup. It’s nicely rounded out with the addition of diced ham, fresh broccoli florets, onions, and added seasonings. Mac And Cheese Soup is a bowl full of classic comfort that appeals to the kid in us all.

I feel like most kids like mac and cheese. I mean it’s pasta– which is like a beloved staple in the kingdoms of toddler and child– smothered and tossed in a creamy, cheese sauce.

And my kids have all loved, loved, loved cheese from the cradle. And macaroni and cheese is so versatile.

It makes a great side dish to so many of our favorite meals. It’s great to bring to pot lucks and barbecues. It’s a perfect lunch for the younger ones, or a snack for my voracious teens, and it’s saved me more than once at dinner time.

Then there’s that one kid, the one who loves the stuff so much he wants it breakfast, noon, and night.

There are days I don’t even know what to do with my youngest in this regard. I learned the hard way not to ask him too often what he’d like for lunch or dinner, because the answers was always the same.

And if I said no? Meltdown city! And while I can appreciate his love for the creamy past concoction coated in cheese sauce– we/he can’t live on those kinds of carbs alone.

Luckily, I was able to get creative and figured out an acceptable way to flesh out his favorite boxed dinner and turn it into a meal fit for the whole family.

What Do You Need To Turn Boxed Mac & Cheese Into A Soup?

I can relate to my youngest, and really all my guys, on this level. Boxed mac and cheese will always have my heart.

You’ll always find the 25 cent kind with the packet of cheese powder stocked in my little pantry. But every now and then I get to feeling a little bit fancy.

Or I just want something a little creamier, where the sauce really sticks- nice & thick like. That’s when I splurge for the ‘deluxe’ boxed dinner. It wasn’t much of a stretch to add some broth, add a veggie, and a meat & turn the kids’ favorite cheat meal into a soup I actually felt good about serving.

You don’t need anything special or over the top either. It’s a great way to froof a boxed dinner, and transform it into something you feel good about serving as a complete meal.

You’ll need:

boxed mac and cheese with creamy cheese sauce packet
fresh broccoli
onion
cheddar cheese soup
milk
chopped ham

This mac and cheese soup recipe is really surprisingly basic. You start it just like you would with any other boxed macaroni & cheese.

HOW TO MAKE MAC AND CHEESE SOUP:

Add 8 cups of water to a large soup pot, and bring it to a boil. Once a rolling boil’s reached, add the packaged pasta to the pot. Give it a good stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Let the pasta cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Drain the cooked macaroni, transfer it back to the soup pot, and set it aside.

Two cups of water are added to another large skillet or pot, and brought to a rolling boil. The broccoli & onion are added and cooked uncovered for roughly three minutes.

At this point stir in the cheese soup, the ham, the milk, and the cheese sauce packet from the boxed mix. Whisk it all in until the mixture’s smooth.

Pour this mixture into the soup pot with the pasta. Stir the mac and cheese soup together until it’s all evenly incorporated. Heat the pot again just until the soup’s heated through.

Taste it, and salt & pepper the pot as needed. Ladle it into bowls and serve immediately.

Just like the son’s favorite mac and cheese, this soup starts off with a box of the good stuff.

With the simple additions of a few extra seasonings, the help of some veggies, diced ham for it’s exceptional flavor and extra creaminess this soup is ready in a flash.

It’s perfect for dinner any night of the week or weekend, and it’s mom and kid approved for any time of year.

Other Mac And Cheese Inspired Recipes You Don’t Want To Miss

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