Creamy Tomato Soup Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy tomato soup macaroni and cheese takes the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup and combines it into one delicious pasta bake. This easy noodle casserole recipe is cheesy pasta perfection your whole family will love!
What’s more classic than grilled cheese and tomato soup? Not much. That combination is just so comforting to me.
It’s cozy and reminds me of the Campbell’s soup commercial where the little boy is a snowman and melts when he eats his soup.
Yes, I know that it’s for chicken soup, but still.
The grilled cheese tomato soup combo gives me that warm your soul up feeling. And so does this tomato soup macaroni and cheese.
What is tomato soup macaroni and cheese?
Tomato soup macaroni and cheese is exactly what it sounds like.
It combines the rich tomato soup flavor with the creamy cheese sauce and pasta from macaroni and cheese.
The result? A delicious baked pasta dish that is serious comfort food perfection.
How to Make Tomato Soup Mac and Cheese
Making this baked pasta recipe is very similar to making a regular baked mac and cheese recipe.
The difference? You add marinara sauce and tomato paste to the cheese sauce.
To make this yummy macaroni and cheese, start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions until it is just al dente.
As soon as it’s done cooking, strain the pasta and run it under cold water to stop it from cooking more.
While you are cooking the pasta, you can make the cheese sauce.
To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan. Once it’s melted, you can whisk in the flour to form a roux. Let the mixture cook until it turns golden and forms a paste.
Now, you can turn up the temperature to medium high and stir in the milk 1/2 cup at a time.
When the mixture has thickened, reduce the heat to medium low, and whisk in the cheese one cup at a time until the sauce is smooth.
Here’s where the tomato soup flavor comes in. You’re going to whisk the marinara sauce and tomato paste into the cheese sauce for that yummy tomato flavor.
Now it’s time to assemble the casserole. Start by gently tossing the pasta and the sauce together to evenly combine them.
Then transfer the pasta mixture to a sprayed 9×13″ baking dish.
Stir the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and melted butter together. Sprinkle the seasoned buttery breadcrumbs out over top of the macaroni and cheese.
Then bake the macaroni and cheese for 20-25 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Make the Best Tomato Soup Mac and Cheese
- Don’t overcook your pasta. You want it just barely al dente. It will cook further while it bakes in the oven.
- Can’t find cavatappi noodles? No worries. Use penne, ziti, spirals or elbow macaroni instead.
- Use your favorite sauce. You can use store bought or you can use a homemade marinara sauce if you prefer.
- For extra crispy breadcrumbs, turn on the broiler for a minute or two at the end of baking. Make sure to keep a close eye on it if using the broiler to prevent burning.
Other Comforting Baked Pasta Dishes You Might Like
This creamy tomato soup macaroni and cheese is one of my family’s favorite pasta bakes. Make it and enjoy the classic comfort food for your next family dinner.
Looking for other comforting baked pasta dishes? Try these:
If you’ve tried this CREAMY TOMATO SOUP MACARONI & CHEESE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Creamy Tomato Soup Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta like cavatapi, rotini, or penne
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 4 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions JUST until al dente. Immediately strain the pasta. Run it under cold water, stirring to stop the pasta from cooking further.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. As soon as it's melted add the flour, whisking to combine. Let the mixture bubble for 30 seconds to cook off any flour taste.
- Raise the temperature to medium high and add in the milk 1/2 cup at a time, until all the milk's been incorporated and simmer, whisking often, until the roux has thickened.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, and add the cheese- one cup at a time- whisking until all the cheese has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the marinara sauce & tomato paste to the cheese sauce, whisking to evenly combine.
- Add the pasta into the pot, and gently toss until all of the pasta is evenly combined & saucy. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13" baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and melted butter to a small mixing bowl. Stir together until evenly combined, and then spread them out evenly over top of the casserole.
- Bake the macaroni & cheese at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe is missing what to set your oven to! Just wanted to share that information, I didn’t make this dish but it looks good!
Oops! Thanks for catching that big gaff. This bakes at 350 degrees, and I’ll make sure to update the recipe to reflect that now. Hope you try it- it’s even better than it looks!!