Craving Mac And Cheese And Soup? Combine Both For The Perfect Comfort Dish

Mac and cheese can be as simple or elaborate as you want. However, of all the ways to upgrade homemade mac and cheese, a can of soup probably wasn't on your radar. Mac and cheese and soup are both comforting foods that will taste great side by side, but combining the two will make for an effortless, rich, and delicious casserole dish. A can of condensed soup is practically as thick and rich as the cheese sauce you pour over mac and cheese. So not only will it contribute flavor to mac and cheese, but it'll also ensure an ultra-creamy consistency. Plus, mac and cheese is prone to drying out in the oven, and a can or two of soup will ensure that everything stays moist and luxurious.

The most straightforward way to incorporate soup into a baked mac and cheese recipe is to add a couple of cans of your favorite condensed soup, grated cheese, and a splash of cream or milk to a pot of cooked noodles, stirring to combine, before transferring to a casserole dish and baking. However, you could also make a cheese sauce by stirring milk and cheese into a bubbling pot of canned soup on the stove, then pouring it over cooked noodles. Cans of condensed soup, coupled with shredded cheese and your favorite noodle shape, are the effortless combination that'll effortlessly substitute a difficult roux-based cheese sauce, converting a macaroni casserole into a veritable dump-it dish. 

Condensed soup is ideal for a creamy and thick mac and cheese casserole. And there are a diverse range of condensed soup flavors that'll pair perfectly with mac and cheese. The most obvious choice is condensed cheddar cheese soup, which you can actually use to substitute some of the shredded cheese, in a pinch. Introduce a vegetable element with cans of broccoli and cheese soup, while cream of chicken soup will pack a savory punch. If you're looking for a burst of salty umami, cream of mushroom soup would work well with a blend of sharp white cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan. Cheese and tomatoes are a match made in heaven, so you could add condensed tomato soup along with shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and a few dollops of ricotta for an Italian-inspired mac and cheese casserole.

Canned soup can also inspire other mac and cheese additions. If you're using cream of mushroom soup, you can swap a breadcrumb topping for crispy fried onions. Throw in some frozen or canned green beans to make a hybrid mac and cheese and green bean casserole. Top a tomato soup mac and cheese with Italian herb and Parmesan-infused toasted breadcrumbs.