Southern tomatoes and macaroni is vintage comfort food at its finest. With only a handful of affordable ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, this budget stretching dinner is a real winner!

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Sometimes my Grandma’s old-fashioned comfort food is the best thing I can think of.

This southern tomatoes and macaroni is one of those meals.

It’s full of flavor and hearty but so easy to throw together.

Plus, it can be a meal all on its own or you can pair it with a simple meat dish like pork chops or even grilled chicken breasts.

And on its own, it is a treat as is or topped with a large pat of butter stirred into each serving and some shredded cheddar.

Heaven!

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Pasta– Elbow macaroni
Bacon grease– I normally reserve bacon grease in a can for just this purpose.
Tomatoes– A can of petite diced tomatoes. Don’t drain it.
Salt and pepper– To taste
Sugar– Just a pinch to cut the acidity in the tomatoes.
Cornstarch and water– To thicken the tomatoes.

How to Make

It’s no surprise that a recipe with simple ingredients is so easy to make!

To make these southern tomatoes and macaroni, start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.

When the pasta is done, drain it well in a colander and set it aside.

While the macaroni drains, return the same pot you cooked the pasta in to the stove set over medium heat.

Heat up the bacon grease in the pot.

Once the grease is hot, stir in the canned tomatoes juice and all until evenly combined.

Then, stir the drained pasta back into the pot.

Salt and pepper the pasta to taste and add a pinch of sugar.

Let everything heat through.

While the tomatoes and macaroni warm through, make a slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until evenly combined.

Then, stir the slurry into the pasta.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and stirring often, simmer for roughly 10 minutes, or until nicely thickened.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Tips and Tricks

Customize this simple pasta by using different seasonings or even adding meat like ground beef or chicken or even crumbled bacon.
Top it with some shredded cheddar for a finishing touch! The heat from the pasta will melt it and it’s a treat!
My sons like it with a teensy bit of beef bullion added for extra flavor.
Want to use tomatoes from your own garden? In this Depression era recipe, people would have been using canned tomatoes from their gardens that they would have cut into little pieces before prepping this.
Traditionally, you serve this with a large pat of butter on top that’s allowed to melt and then stirred into each serving. MMMMM good!

Other Depression Era Recipes

Southern tomatoes and macaroni is a delicious budget stretching meal that tastes like a million bucks!

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other Depression era recipes?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this SOUTHERN TOMATOES AND MACARONI, 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!

Southern Tomatoes And Macaroni

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 394kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

2 cups elbow pasta
2 tbsp bacon grease
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes undrained
salt & pepper to taste
pinch sugar optional
1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp COLD water, to form a slurry

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain well, and set aside.
2 cups elbow pasta
While the cooked pasta's draining, return the same pot to the stove set over medium heat. Add the bacon grease to the pot and allow it to heat up.
2 tbsp bacon grease
Once hot, add the canned tomatoes (juice & all)- stirring until evenly combined.
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
Pour the cooked and drained pasta into the pot, again stirring until evenly combined. Salt and pepper the pasta, to taste. Add a pinch of sugar, if using, and allow the mixture to heat through.
salt & pepper, pinch sugar
Stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until evenly combined. Pour the slurry into the pasta, stirring to evenly incorporate.
1 tbsp cornstarch
Bring the mixture to a simmer and stirring often, simmer for roughly 10 minutes, or until nicely thickened.
Serve warm & enjoy!

Notes

Customize this simple pasta by using different seasonings or even adding meat like ground beef or chicken or even crumbled bacon.
Top it with some shredded cheddar for a finishing touch! The heat from the pasta will melt it and it's a treat!
My sons like it with a teensy bit of beef bullion added for extra flavor.
Want to use tomatoes from your own garden? In this Depression era recipe, people would have been using canned tomatoes from their gardens that they would have cut into little pieces before prepping this.
Traditionally, you serve this with a large pat of butter on top that's allowed to melt and then stirred into each serving. MMMMM good!