One-pot macaroni and cheese with tomatoes

8
Points®
Total Time
20 min
Prep
11 min
Cook
9 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
This comfort-food favorite takes on a new look and new taste with the addition of tomatoes. Shake it up even further by using fire roasted diced tomatoes in place of plain diced tomatoes. Pair with some steamed broccoli for a quick and easy vegetarian dinner or serve with roasted chicken and a small green salad for a more traditional meal. In only 20 minutes you can have this dish on your table. To reduce prep time even further, use any leftover cooked pasta you may have on hand. Simply stir the cooked noodles into the sauce and serve. For a warm lunch, pair with only the green salad and a light vinaigrette that will cut the creamy cheesiness of the pasta.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter

1 Tbsp

All-purpose flour

2 Tbsp

Canned diced tomatoes

14½ oz

Weight Watchers Reduced-fat Mexican style shredded cheese

1½ cup(s), mild variety

1% low fat milk

½ cup(s)

Grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp

Dry mustard

½ tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Cooked macaroni

4 cup(s), elbow variety

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, 2–3 minutes.
  2. Stir the cheddar cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, mustard, and salt into the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth, 2–3 minutes.
  3. Stir the pasta into the skillet and cook until heated through and well coated, 1–2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before serving. Yields scant 1 cup per serving.

Notes

Leftover spaghetti works best if cut into 1- to 2-inch lengths, and leftover large pasta, such as rigatoni or ziti, could be cut in half. You’ll need about 1/2 pound dry macaroni to get 4 cups cooked.If you want a slightly crunchy texture, sprinkle each portion with a few toasted bread crumbs.