The Canned Soup That Instantly Boosts Your Mac And Cheese

After learning how canned cream of mushroom soup doubles as a creamy, earthy pasta sauce, it should come as no surprise that this pantry mainstay can also instantly upgrade your mac and cheese. All you need for the mac and cheese of your dreams is elbow macaroni, unsalted chicken stock, butter, milk, cheese, and, of course, a can of cream of mushroom soup. 

Start off by setting your pasta to boil in a large pot as you stir together the butter, milk, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup over heat to make a cheese sauce. Once both of these components are ready, they should be combined well and baked until golden brown. While you can certainly count on canned tomato soup to bring your mac and cheese to life, cream of mushroom soup delivers a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich, savory flavor that is bound to pull guests back in for seconds.

Preparing the mac and cheese in a pressure cooker instead can make it even more convenient by reducing the steps and number of dishes to clean. Simply submerge the uncooked pasta in chicken stock with butter, salt and pepper, and the cream of mushroom soup on top. After sealing, cooking, and depressurizing, milk and cheese should be stirred into the dish. A blend of cheddar and Parmesan cheese works great with the flavors of the cream of mushroom.

Once all of the ingredients have settled and mixed into one homogenous dish, it is ready to dress with cracker crumbs or bacon bits and serve! Alternatively, if you are making the baked version, you can top with buttered bread crumbs before baking it in the oven. Should cream of mushroom soup not fulfill the need for rich, creamy mac and cheese, cream cheese is another ingredient for tastier mac and cheese that is worth exploring.