Baked Tomato Mac N Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 quart half-and-half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as ritz®), crushed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Ready Time: 55 mins


• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). butter a baking dish.
• bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain, return macaroni to pot, and stir tomatoes into the macaroni. cook over medium heat until the macaroni absorbs some of the liquid from the tomatoes, about 4 minutes. remove from heat.
• melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. stir flour into melted butter and cook until bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. slowly stream half-and-half and chicken broth into the butter mixture while stirring. bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook while stirring continually until thickened and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• remove saucepan from heat. melt mild cheddar cheese and sharp cheddar cheese into the butter mixture one handful at a time, stirring to incorporate each addition before adding the next. season the cheese mixture with pepper and pour over the macaroni; stir to coat pasta evenly. transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with crushed crackers.
• bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and the liquid is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. cool 10 minutes before serving.