My husband’s side of the family is putting together a cookbook of favourite family recipes. When they polled the family, Bubbe Bess’ Tomato Macaroni and Cheese was at the top of the list for recipes that must be included. It occurred to me that I had never blogged about it, so I’m sharing the recipe with you today.
Sam Sifton, former NY Times food critic developed something he called the “Pizza Cognition Theory “(PCT). He posited that, “The first slice of pizza a child sees and tastes …, becomes, for him, pizza.” The same could be applied to any food really. When I was growing up, mac and cheese came in a box. (KD, or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese if you live in the USA).
Macaroni and cheese for my husband was something else entirely. He grew up with his mom’s (Bess) mac and cheese. Her version, a Tomato Macaroni and Cheese, forgoes the making of a traditional roux. She relied on a very unusual ingredient to add richness and creaminess. Canned tomato soup.
Watch how it comes together.
When I was introduced to my husband’s childhood mac and cheese, I was stunned. But I must admit, it has grown on me over the years. I love the tang that the tomato brings to the dish. I adapted Bess’ Tomato Macaroni and Cheese recipe slightly by adding some cream to the mix, as I found it to be a bit dry without it.
Breaking through the crispy golden breadcrumb topping to reveal the layer of creamy cheesy noodles is a study in textural contrast.
For my children and their cousins, this is the ultimate mac and cheese.
Bubbe Bess’ Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 454 grams dried macaroni noodles
- 2 Tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 454 grams cheddar cheese (white or orange) shredded
- 2 10-ounce cans Tomato Soup
- 3/4 cup 35% or half and half cream
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 2 Quart casserole dish with butter and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 Tablespoons Diamond Crystal Salt to the water. Add macaroni and cook for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain noodles and transfer back to pot.
- Add grated cheddar, tomato soup and cream to the noodles in the pot. Mix well and transfer macaroni to the casserole dish.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add bread crumbs and toss until all the crumbs are coated. Cook for about another 2 minutes, tossing well. Spread breadcrumbs over top of casserole dish. Bake macaroni and cheese for 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling and top is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
