This recipe for Macaroni and Tomatoes is a childhood classic for many folks. It’s quick, easy, only calls for a few ingredients, and is so delicious!
Simple Macaroni and Tomatoes is a classic dish many folks remember from their childhoods. And while there are tons of variations, the basic recipe pretty much stays the same.
With this, three ingredients are a must in my book – canned tomatoes, macaroni, and bacon grease. Canned tomatoes make it easy and perfect as a year-round dish. And I actually prefer the flavor of the canned variety in this one. Macaroni is obvious. And the bacon grease, while it can be replaced with butter, is required for me because it gives the dish it’s signature savory, smoky flavor.
How to Save and Store Bacon Grease
Here are my tips for saving bacon grease! Let me show you how to clean and filter your rendered bacon fat and explain the best ways to store it!
Learn How to Save Bacon Grease
Some folks add onions, some add green peppers, and some add cheese on top. I like it pretty simple and straightforward.
Which brings me to another ingredient… sugar. In all my time eating this dish, sugar is probably the most common other ingredient. And while I don’t care for it with the sugar myself, many folks say it helps to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. I happen to like that acidity, but if that’s not your thing you can certainly add some sugar to the mix.
I’d start by adding about 1 teaspoon of regular ol’ white sugar at the end with the salt and pepper and then add more to suit your tastes. In this case I think it’s just a matter of what you’re used to and if you’re used to this dish being sweet, then by golly you should add in some sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- sugar optional – see note
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in salted water to al dente according to the package instructions then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large pot, melt the bacon grease and pour in the tomatoes with the juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally – about 10 minutes.
- Add the macaroni to the tomatoes and mix well. Add the salt and pepper. Mix well then adjust seasoning to taste. (See my note about sugar below.) Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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made this for the first time today and Lord where have you been all my life. I had to use plant based butter due to my husband has alfa gal but this was still so delicious. I did add a little sugar at the end to cut back on acidity. I will be making this again and again. I even just ate it cold out of the refrigerator. I made this today as a side to go with pulled chicken sandwichs (again alfa gal) but I could eat this as a whole meal. Thank you so much for the recipe. Something so simple and yet so good.
So, so glad you enjoyed it, Becky!!
My mother used to make it for my sister and me for our lunch. She used her own canned tomatoes that were stored in the cellar, along with other fruits and vegetables that she canned. In stead of bacon fat, she used a dollop of butter, and a sprinkling of black pepper. Other than that, it’s the same as yours. I am going to make it for tomorrows lunch! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sure hope you enjoyed it!
Just like my mother made when we were growing up. Happy to find this.
Love hearing that!
My mother served this many many times love it
It’s a classic for sure!
Yummy recipe and I did try it and the entire family was happy and ate so much I had to make another the next weekend!
Happy to hear it, Jenn!
Tasted just like grandmas. DELICIOUS!
Thanks, Patricia!
Straight from my childhood memories! Love it!
Thanks, Lisa!
Brought me back to my Granny’s house in GA. Oh, how miss those times! Love your recipes!
Thanks, Nancy!
I grew up eating stewed tomatoes but had never had tomatoes put together with macaroni until this recipe came from Stacey. OH MY WORD! It is as simple as a dish comes but it is so comforting and satisfying! I made it today with pork chops, cooked spinach for my husband, green beans for me, and cornbread. As we were eating I told my husband I could sit down with a big plate of only the macaroni and tomatoes and hot buttered cornbread and be totally satisfied … No meat needed! This is true southern cooking at its best to me … simple, easy to make, only a few ingredients, and delicious! Thanks, Stacey, for sticking to your roots with food you grew up eating and sharing the recipes with all of us! 😊
LaFern, thank you so much! This absolutely made my day. I’m right there with you, a big plate of macaroni and tomatoes with hot buttered cornbread sounds like a perfect meal to me. Simple food like this is exactly what I grew up on, and it means so much to know it brought that same comfort to your table. Thank you for such a kind note!
It’s even more rich and wonderful if you add some tomato juice and serve it alongside some homemade pintos and cornbread. The pintos with or without ham. Whole family belly stuffing for cheap! My granny and mom made this a lot and I loved it!
Thanks for sharing, Henry! That sounds amazing!
We add cheddar cheese to ours. It’s a family favorite from when I was little.
Sounds great, Mary!
Thanks for this recipe! It was a staple when I was raising four kids. P. S. I don’t add sugar.
I agree, but do give folks the option. 🙂
I grew up eating what my Gram called…”ditalini”….ditalini noodles, can tomatoes, butter, S & P. I’ve made it for my kids growing up, who made it for their kids growing up, lol, and we all still make it! Out of curiosity, I read all the reviews to see if anyone else used ditalini noodles, and apparently nobody did. I always thought it was Grams made-up recipe, then I saw this, lol. I am going to try the bacon grease next time i make it, but will probably still use ditalini, just out of tradition….and still call it “ditalini” Glad to see others enjoying such a simple but delicious recipe.
Love this! And I agree! You should absolutely use the ditalini to stay true to her recipe.
Tasted great with bacon grease- no sugar added. So easy to make and quick! Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it!
Very delicious, quick easy dish to prepare. I prefer No sugar, I added a few drops of hot sauce on my serving.
So glad you enjoyed it, Julie!
So good! I made this for my husband who had never had it. I tweaked it a little because I like a smokier flavor so I added more bacon grease.
Glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Love this stuff.. we always put a pound of cooked cut up bacon in it & baked together for awhile 😋
That sounds amazing! You can never have too much bacon!
Always enjoy this dish, simple but delicious
Thanks, Donelda!
Stacy this is similar to my mother’s but she used her homemade stewed tomatoes instead with all it’s juice. Just wish I had that recipe because then it would take me back to my childhood.
Those homemade stewed tomatoes sound incredible, and I know how special those childhood flavors can be. I wish I could hand you her exact recipe, too. I hope this one still brings a little of that comfort back to your table.
I’ve made this twice now, and I definitely love adding one chopped sauté onion in butter. I also mix in shredded old cheddar, a teaspoon of red chilli pepper, a teaspoon of parsley, and a bit of onion salt. I like to double the recipe, and put in foil tins to freeze for easy future meals. My husbands mom made it all the time with a family of 6. Tasty!
Look at you fancying up macaroni and tomatoes! Sounds great, Susan!
Simple and surprisingly delicious recipe. I didn’t have any bacon fat and so sauteed a diced onion in a little butter and as suggested, added that, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a dash of liquid smoke. I used celery salt in place of regular salt and generously peppered. No sugar for us. Once again, I must exclaim how tasty this was with very few and simple ingredients! Very homey and comforting. Thank you
Well seeing as you didn’t follow the recipe at all, you don’t eat real Mac and Tomatoes.
I added garlic onion order black pepper and a little Italian seasoning and used butter in place of bacon grease. I’m making it right now and is smells divine!
Thanks for letting me know! Sure hope it tastes as good as it smells!
Good as always and a good basic recipe.
Thanks!
Love this recipe
Thanks, Lana!
I have never had this but wanted to try it. Followed your recipe, including a bit of sugar and it is very good. Thanks for sharing! I’m in Ohio.
Awesome, Karie! So glad you enjoyed it!
Great old southern dish
Thanks, Brad!
hi stacy i make it the same way you do. no sugar.from n,carolina here.
Glad to hear it, Blue!
Back in late 80s, my high school cafeteria served this dish. They always had a sugar dispenser for us to add our sugar to it. So good.
That sounds like a fun memory! It’s interesting how certain dishes can really take us back to our school days.
My Grandma fried her bacon in lard, pour the grease right into tomatoes & noodles, feed it to Grandpa, after a large portion he would take a shot of whiskey, lived to be 97, lol jfyi
That sounds like quite the meal! Your Grandpa clearly knew how to enjoy life. Thanks for sharing that fun story!
This recipe was new to me. Couldn’t believe how easy and tasty. No bacon grease so followed you advice and used coconut oil and liquid smoke and sautéed onions. Delicious!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I love how creative you got with it
This is the best. My mom made this when I was growing up. A good memory. You have to try this sure you will love it as much as I do.
Thanks so much, Becky!
My Grandmother always used butter instead of bacon grease and no sugar. Browned the onions in the butter then added the chopped tomatoes and plenty of black pepper. I’ve always made it that way and every one loves it. I use vegan butter sometimes and it is just as delicious!
I love that your grandmother’s recipe has been passed down and adapted. It’s great to hear that everyone enjoys it! Thanks for sharing your version!
I’m an old southerner and remember my mom making this at least once a week. The only thing I do different is sauté a whole chopped onion in the bacon fat before I add the tomatoes and noodles. And yes this recipe brings back loads of fond memories. Thank you!
That sounds delicious, Martee!!
Made it just as you said, I just didn’t have any bacon grease on hand so I used beef tallow instead! No sugar was needed, the tomatoes were sweet enough ❤️ So Good!
So glad to hear it turned out great for you, Ashlee!
What would you use instead of bacon grease is making for vegetarian??
You can try using olive oil or coconut oil as a substitute for bacon grease. Doing so, however, will remove a big flavor component in the smokiness from the bacon grease. To combat that, you might consider adding a bit of smoked paprika or liquid smoke. Hope that helps!
Perfect!! Brings back great memories and tastes just as good as I remember!
I’m so glad to hear that! It’s amazing how food can evoke such wonderful memories.
How would you do this if doubling and making ahead of time? Wanting to make for Easter.
Great question! To double the recipe, just double all the ingredients. For making it ahead of time, I recommend undercooking the pasta a bit so it doesn’t get too soft when you reheat it. Also, keep some extra water on hand for reheating to prevent it from drying out. Hope that helps, and enjoy your Easter!
I made this for my supper. Followed directions to a t . No sugar. It was fabulous. Will be a recipe I use often. Thank you
I’m so glad to hear that it turned out great for you!
My Mom made Macaroni and Tomatoes with velveeta cheez. No bacon or bacon grease! I always loved it!
That sounds like a comforting dish! Macaroni and Tomatoes with Velveeta has such a nostalgic vibe. It’s great to hear how much you loved it! Thanks for sharing your memory!
Love this recipe as it does NOT have added sugar in it. My mother’s was good but there was the addition of sugar always. This is the best and it is so easy to do.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! It’s great to hear it brings back memories. Simplicity can be so satisfying, right?
Easy to make and delicious! And I don’t usually even like macaroni. This will become a regular meal for us. Thanks so much.
I did add some sautéed onions and garlic and threw in some frozen spinach as the tomatoes simmered.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Those additions of sautéed onions, garlic, and spinach sound delicious—great way to sneak in some veggies! Thanks for sharing your twist, and I’m thrilled it’s becoming a regular for y’all!
Was so very very delicious!!!!
Thanks, Linda!
I have eaten a version of this recipe my whole life. My grandma called it chingaretti, because she made it with spaghetti. She started making it in the depressionn and war time when you had stamps for food when there were rations. She said she always had a little bit of bacon left before her new stamps came so she would make Chingaretti. The recipe is a duplicate of yours with the addition of a few pieces of cooked bacon broken into pieces and the bacon grease that is rendered, a little tomatoe juice and shredded cheddar cheese. I ate this so often as a child and could eat it every day now. One of the best things I have ever eaten and am glad to see this recipe and variations. Happy food memories, Thanks.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I love hearing how recipes like this are tied to such special family memories. Your grandma’s “Chingaretti” sounds absolutely amazing—bacon, tomato juice, and cheese? Yes, please! Food really does have a way of connecting us to the past. So glad this brought back happy memories for you!
My Mum never made this, but her best friend did, with a dab of margarine or homemade butter (if the cow was milking)
Butter would add a little creaminess that would be great here!
Really brought back some memories! Loved it!
Happy to hear it, Billy!
Really brought back some memories! Loved it!
I added an extra tablespoon of bacon grease and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. I don’t like mine sweet but it was just enough to cut some of that acidity and saltiness. Love this recipe!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This is the closest recipe to my mother’s that I have ever seen. Like you, we’re a ‘no sugar’ family; but we do leave more liquid from the macaroni cooking water. Makes the mac and tom more ‘soupy’. Plus more bacon grease, please. 🙂 And never, ever let the soup boil. Delicious! I cook the pasta (two fistfuls) in enough water to leave it soupy to your taste… kind of like chicken noodle… when pasta is done, add a can of petite diced tomatoes (Red Gold is the fave), salt and pepper, and at least two dollops of bacon grease. When it’s hot again, it’s ready – and it won’t take long.
Thanks so much, Jenny! I do like Red Gold as well.
Thank you so much for this recipe! This tastes exactly how I remember my mom making it growing up. I never got the recipe from her, as she would just throw ingredients together without one. I’ve read the previous comments of how changes are made to it. I have to say I won’t change a thing to your recipe, however, I do add the sugar because that’s what my mom did! Such comfort food! Yum!!
Comments like this just make me smile! Thanks, Sandra!
My husband and I enjoyed this as a side dish. I didn’t have any bacon grease so I used butter instead. It was very good.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is how I’ve made my spaghetti for several years. Minus the bacon grease and sugar. It’s so good ands so simple!
Sounds great!
I’ve made this with both canned diced tomatoes and canned stewed tomatoes. Both work really well. I prefer it without sugar too.
Thanks, Drew! Appreciate that insight.
I love it! I add onion, bell pepper and celery salt
Sounds great!
Excellent Recipe, with additions. What a great base for exploration!
Looks great, Dave!
I was visualizing this basic dish with sausage, onion and green pepper and grated parmesan when I found your recipe. Tasty
I had no idea how delicious this was. I ate the entire pot myself.
Ha! Love hearing that!!
We had this growing up. Did not use bacon grease. BUT we did chop some bacon and chopped onion. Sauté both together. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir. Add cooked macaroni. Oh so good!
It’s a favorite for sure!
I make this all the time. Mama taught me. I always add tomato sauce also, but I love it really tomatoey.
Sounds great!
Can you use home canned tomatoes..?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
This is how my parents stretched things for a family of 6 on a USAF NCO paycheck (paid once a month). Mom would add chopped onion and ground beef.
Love the idea of adding the ground beef!
Needs okra and onions in it. We call it Tomato Gumbo.
Sounds great! Though I think that’s an entirely different dish. 🙂
I love this simple recipe. I remember my mom making this when I was a child..Loved it then and love it now..I added a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning and a pinch of sugar..Thanks for the memory
Thanks, Cindy!
I grew up on macaroni and tomatoes, potatoes with bacon grease and eggs. We had a cookstove, and we toasted homemade bread on the cook top. bacon grease went on the toast with a lot of pepper
That sounds so good!
Old fashionedly delicious. I sauteed onion and garlic before adding the tomatoes. After adding the pasta I topped it with some grated cheddar cheese. Just yummy!
Sounds delcious!
I didn’t have canned tomatoes and used rotel tomatoes, and added the sugar with the mix, was still good. Mother in law used to make this recipe. Was glad to find it.
It looks delicious, Nancy! Thanks for sharing a picture!
yummm is so good i also add about a cup or so of clamato juice with the can of tomatoes it also comes in unspicy and spicy for those that like alittle heat oh ya and minced up garlic just a little i love that stuff lol
Thanks for the tip, Neecee!
I’ve never made it with bacon grease so that’s probably what’s been missing all this time. Brings back so many memories of my grandma when I have this.
Hope you’ll enjoy this version!
Rate a20 on a 1-10
I made this today. The key ingredient is the bacon grease. Don’t leave it out. It was delicious.
I agree! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is almost just like my Nanny use to make and now me. The only difference is I saute my onions in the bacon grease before adding the tomatoes and macaroni. So good!
It’s so, so good!
This was a go to when I was growing up and money was tight. I was glad to read that at least one person mentioned cooking pasta in the tomatoes and juice, that’s how mom did it, and hers always had a little broth. We ate it with buttered bread and loved it. She never used bacon or bacon grease, but I like the bacon. Thanks for the recipe and the comments.
Thanks, Shannon!
Everything you post is already tried and true and I have to give you 5 stars on all of your recipes. So many recipes are the same as my mother’s and it brings back memories of a happy childhood. This recipe in particular is one of those comfort foods I remember.
I love all your recipes because I know they are true Southern dishes that everyone will love. Thank you for sharing good food for us to share with our loved ones to make new memories for the next generation.
Thank you so much, Reba! I really appreciate those kind words!
This brought back fond memories of days past.
Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you Tony!
Delicious comfort food! I sautéed my onions til translucent in chipotle flavored olive oil and butter, added in the stewed tomatoes to warm through while macaroni cooked. So delicious. Thank You! I will definitely make again!
This sounds AMAZING!!!!!
My mother in law makes this with just tomatoes and macaroni. She serves it with evaporated milk which she pours into her bowl when she eats it. I make it also but I do spice mine up a bit. We use the milk at the end also. It seems to cut the acidity as sugar would.
Interesting! I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of adding the milk. I’ll have to try it!
Just delicious! When I make a big batch I use a jar of tomatoes I canned, plus add a can Ro-tel. We like things a little spicy! I enjoy you!
Rotel is always a good idea!
Grew up with this only difference we used egg noodles! So good with a pinch of sugar!
Egg noodles would be great too!
Have loved this all my life. To add a touch of sweetness, I add some tomato ketchup.
Great tip! Thanks, Larry!
At 73, I had never used bacon grease in this recipe! WOW! I guess you can teach old dogs new treats. Love it!
LOL! So glad that I was able to pass on a great tip!
I am about to make this. I had remembered eating this as a child and really liking it – I was an extremely picky eater. I tried making it and did not like my version, so went online to look for a receipt. Finally, I found yours! Thank you so much for posting!
I love that this recipe brought back fond childhood memories for you!
I wish you would include nutritional information.
I actually don’t include nutritional info here’s why: https://southernbite.com/heres-why-i-dont-post-nutritional-information-with-my-recipes/
I grew up in the South and had never heard of this recipe until earlier this year. Well, I was dreaming about this recipe last night because it is so good. I’m making some today because it is absolutely delicious! I love it with a little sugar!
Thanks Kathleen!
This recipe is the same as one I learned from my mom over 50 years ago, and am still making it. The only difference is I use lots of pepper. And now I use Becel vegan instead of butter or bacon grease 😊
That’s a wonderful alternative for bacon grease and butter!
Great Recipe
That was delicious! I just added a few pieces of bacon.
That sounds like a Wonderful addition!
Stacey, Even though it’s 10:30 in the morning, I just made this. Of course it was delish. Next time I will use a better brand of tomatoes. So yummy! Thank you for all your great recipes. Dee
Hey Dee! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, even at 10:30 AM! 😊
I’ve been eating this since I was a kid I’m from the south but my mom and I always put fresh basil in it. That’s the only thing I do different.
Delish!
LOL, why do all southerners think every recipe is southern? It’s tired and old.
I’m not sure where this is coming from. I just looked through the post and don’t see where I claimed it as southern. In fact, I don’t even see the word southern in the actual post anywhere.
I vaguely remember this as a kid, my mom just used a dash of sugar to cut the acid. I made a double batch since my family loves anything pasta 😋 it came out great, I added some onion powder and a little garlic 😋
Wonderful idea!
This is going to sound really dense. But, I had no idea other people are this on purpose. I love this dish but, I honestly thought it was something my mom came up with to get us through When we were doing good she’d serve it with fried pork chops.
That’s not dense at all! I think lots of families used this dish as a way to make ends meet, now it’s nostalgic as a result.
I wonder how a little bit of red wine vinegar would go with this? Kind of a tomato salad spin on the dish… any thoughts?
A little extra acid doesn’t seem like a bad thing.
Allen back,
I’m sorry that I left out the point of my reply, this macaroni & tomatoes dish was among my favorites in our school cafeteria…
It’s an old school favorite for sure!
Many people don’t have good memories of the food from their School cafeteria, I went to school in Laguna Beach, CA during the 40s & 50s, we had really good home-style cooking that was done by mothers of some of the students that actually attended school there, all of the food was prepared on-site from scratch!
This has always been a quick, standby meal in our family. Personally I like the juiciness of the tomatoes so I add additional tomato juice. I also home-can my tomatoes which make 5his the best.
No doubt! Home-canned have such a great flavor!
When I was growing up in southeast MO, we always had this for supper in the winter. We’d have it with fried potatoes and cornbread. Mama and Grandma made it by cooking lots of chopped onion in butter, then adding a quart of home canned tomatoes, and cooked macaroni. Then simmer it for a while so the macaroni absorbs the the tomato juice. Salt and pepper to taste. I love the stuff.
I have friends in Italy who grew up in poor mountain villages. I told them about macaroni and tomatoes. They laughed and said growing up that was how the poor ate their pasta. I said that it was poor folks food for us too and it is very good. They agreed, they loved it growing up too.
No you’ve got me hungry!
Just like mother used to make. She didn’t leave me any recipes and I keep looking for similar to hers. This was perfect.
So happy to hear that, Cheryl!
Had this many times when growing up. Mom was an excellent cook and could make an excellent meal out of ” nothing” as she would say. I am making it tonight with pork tenderloin. I add onion into the tomatoes also then put cheese on top and brown it.
Sounds great! I need to try it that way.
Been making this for years! My best friends Grandmother made it every Sunday for lunch and that is where I first had it. She made hers just like your directions. I sometimes fill adventurous and I add a tablespoon or 2 of dehydrated onion in mine. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
You bet, Audrey! Enjoy!
We always walked down to the cornor grocery store charged to our account but we did elbow noodles,stewed tomatoes,lots of butter and lots of garlic..made it tonight
Such fun memories! Grocery stores that let you keep a tab were always so cool to me!
Corrected!
This is one of those recipes that I always used the home canned tomatoes for! The big difference though in how we make it is that we don’t pre-cook our macaroni. It’s cooked in the juice of the tomatoes, do it takes on more flavor. Now, I’m not sure that I put a whole 2 cups in because this was an old unwritten recipe that we just eyeballed! ???????????? We also usually fry a couple of sliced of bacon in the pot to start and just leave them in there throughout the cooking. In that bacon grease we throw in a good handful of finely diced onion. (It’s gotta have the onion!) And no sugar, ever!!!
Thank so much for sharing your method! Sounds great!
This is one of those recipes that I always used the home canned tomatoes for! The big difference though in how we make it is that we don’t pre-cook our macaroni. It’s cooked in the juice of the tomatoes, do it takes on more flavor. Now, I’m not sure that I put a whole 2 cups in because this was an old unwritten recipe that we just eyeballed! ???????????? We also usually fry a couple of sliced of bacon in the pot to start and just leave them in there throughout the cooking. And no sugar, ever!!!
Oh Stacey, so many memories come back with this recipe! I loved it as a kid, and still love it today. My mom had to stretch her dollars too, but we never felt poor when we could eat macaroni and tomatoes! These days I add a bit of cubed velveeta cheese to the mix. Gonna try it with the bacon grease now! Thanks so much for such a lovely posting. And I have loved reading everyone’s take on it too.
It’s always so fun to see the variations! I think I’ll need to try the Velveeta!
I have made for years , no sugar but a touch of chili powder or cayenne offsets sweetness of stewed tomatoes.
Yum!!
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!
This was a childhood favorite! Brought back lots of memories, thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Lynn!
I grew up with this dish and you are right one about the usual sugar added at the end. My mom didn’t like real sweet so she used the sugar lightly. While she cooked often with bacon grease, as I do also, she always used butted in this dish. She made this for me not long before she passed. What a great memory.
Thanks for sharing that sweet memory with us, Nan!
I still make this but I actually cook bacon cut up small with green pepper and onion and add to it, sometimes I add beef broth and make in to a soup.. delicious any way you want to make it … yummy
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your version!
Very good…… we had it about once a week when I was growing up. Mom added a pound of ground beef so it was a meal in our house. Went a long way with 5 mouths to feed. Thank you for sharing.
Love the idea of turning into a meal! Thanks, Vickie!
Mom made what we called sweet & sour macaroni & tomatoes. For the sweet macaroni & tomatoes, she added cornstarch & sugar. Delicious! Maggie
Thanks for sharing, Maggie!
Any updates on your cookbook yet… are more available to buy? Thank-you!
None yet, but hopefully soon! I’m so sorry!
We always had this when I was growing up in eastern North Carolina. We used a large and small can of diced tomatoes and cooked the pasta in the tomatoes with the bacon grease. We use a whole box of pasta and we make bacon very crispy to sprinkle on top of it! We love it so much!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s so, so good!!!
My mom and grandma made a variation of this using elbow macaroni strewed tomatoes diced onions and velveta cheese put in a casserole topped it with browned pork chops they would pour the grease from the pork over the top and bake best meal ever
That sounds AMAZING!!!
I added a sweet onion and diced up the bacon used to produce the grease. Great flavor!
Sounds perfect! Glad you enjoyed it!
My parents go-to comfort food but my mom used canned stewed tomatoes and shell shaped macaroni. Add some Parmesan and voila! Yummy memories!
So delicious!!
Love this. My Mom added onion and chopped up and added the bacon she fried to get the grease . Gives it great flavor.
Yum!! Sounds delish!
Make this with macaroni and cheese; cooked, add your diced, drained tomatoes and a can of drained tuna and bake in the oven at 350 degrees, covered.
That’s a great way to turn it into a complete meal!
This reminds me of when I was a child growing up. My mother prepared this often. I love it then and still do. Plan to make me some.
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Before we had to give up pasta, this was a staple in our house. Always had to have it on snowy days.
Give up pasta?? I’d be so sad!!
I love this dish. We had it frequently when I was young. We used 16 oz of pasta though and a large can of diced tomatoes and a smaller can. It is so delicious. I still make it today. We just cook the tomatoes 15 minutes first and then cook the pasta in the tomatoes mixed with a can and a half of water. We cook it another 15 minutes and and make some very crisp bacon. We break up all the bacon and sprinkle it on top. It’s great.
Sounds great!
Family comfort food for 4 generations in our family. And no bacon grease. Always butter.
Thanks, Brooke!
Feb. 19, 2020. With the cupboards and fridge getting low on food I went on the internet to see what I could find for recipes with; Macaroni, Canned Diced Tomatoes and a Package of Bacon. I came across this site and this recipe. Just what I needed. I cooked the bacon in the microwave and put the macaroni and canned tomatoes in a pot. I added salt, pepper, a dash of Cayenne Pepper, a couple tblsp of onion salt and gave it a stir. I cooked the bacon until it was crispy and cut it into smaller pieces and added it to the pot. I brought it up to boiling and then reduced the heat and simmered until about half of the liquid had boiled away. It passed my taste test and my wife’s. Yummy. I toasted a couple of burger buns and put chunk of that on top when dished up with some Parmason cheese sprinkled on top. It was delicious. I found a definition years ago to describe my cooking; I’m a Fusion cook. I don’t follow recipes most of the time and when I do I modify them a bit to suit my own taste preferences and of course my wife’s. Thank you for helping me cook supper with only a few ingredients. Appreciate these simple recipes that don’t require expensive ingredients. Very important when living on a fixed income. Old Age Pension for me and a Disability Pension for my wife. Just a note: We live in Nova Scotia, Canada where the snow is beautiful this time of year. I don’t have to shovel it anymore living in a seniors complex so I can appreciate the beauty of it.
So glad that you enjoyed this super simple, but filling meal, Byron! Happy to hear I could help. I’m sure not having to shovel all that snow makes it even more beautiful!
I love the recipe and used it as a side dish not a main dish. I have copied down the variations of this dish. Going to try the one with the white curd tonight. The best think about this dish is that it has always gone over well at potlucks. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Susan!!
Add cucumbers awesome
We have always made this casserole but we also put a white sauce in it to thicken it some and gives great flavor. I also put meatballs on top and I bake it. So yummy.
I love this as a child!! My mom used macaroni and tomato soup…probably because my dad didn’t like tomatoes but loved tomato soup! Then as an adult, a friend made it with canned tomatoes, and I loved it!
🙂
Very interesting! Sounds great!
Oh my gosh!! Just made this the other night although my reciepe is a tad differant. My mother got it from my stepfather’s mother Virgina Knight, in Upstate NY, and boy could she cook!! My mother continued to make it and then myself and now in their 30s, my kids love to make it too. My reciepe is called Baked Macaroni and Cheese. We use elbow macaroni (about 5 cups), stewed tomatoes(2 cans, cut up or crushed with hands)and white curd cheese, about to to three bags cut into small to medium pieces, little salt(not much needed because of the cheese) and some pepper, baked in my roasting pan(cover off at 350 for about 30- 40 min. so it gets a little crisp around the edges and served with meat loaf and corn!
Sounds dee-lish!
Oh Kelly, that sounds so good…and so easy! Does the macaroni go in “raw” (uncooked)?
Hi What is white curd cheese…like cheese curds or fresh mozzarella?
I cannot find a can of tomatoes that is 2 ounces. Would you mind sharing what brand you find the 20-oz size can in?
It should be a 28-ounce can of tomatoes.
Simply must add onion, saute in bacon grease before ya add tomatoes.
Onions are a delicious addition!
I grew up eating this, although I use butter, “my grandmother used bacon grease”, I love this. I always leave some juice on mine. I always make a skillet of corn bread, to go along with it. Good eating on a cold winter’s night.
Cornbread is perfect with this!
My Grand Mother use to make this dish on Saturday nights and serve it with pan fried sirloin steak and she also added a of clove or two of garlic to the tomatoes. I still make it this way and will add some bacon grease for the hell of it. Can’t beat it!!!!
I couldn’t agree more! Sound delicious!
I make this all the time with sliced mushrooms and soy sauce. Lots of black pepper is a must!
That sounds great!
I still make this often, without bacon or sugar. Just home canned tomatoes and elbow macaroni. Sometimes we’d top with some kind of cheese. In fact, this dish is probably why I had my mother teach me how to can tomatoes, which I do every summer.
It is SO good with those home canned tomatoes!
Good stuff, we never added bacon grease but will try, we use to call this, when we can’t came up with what we wanted to eat, and we fried potatoes and put macaroni and tomatoes over them ,
That sounds amazing!!
I love this recipe! Mama made this when I was a child and it was and still is one of my favorite meals. Thinking back now, I know it was something inexpensive and would go far, but to me, kings couldn’t eat better. Sometimes Mama steamed hotdogs on top of the macaroni or added some leftover hotdogs to the pot. She is now 89 and just the other night, we were talking about when she used to make it. I can’t wait to show her this recipe. And yes, she always added white sugar and some margarine or butter to the mix. Thank you for sharing.
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it, Patricia!
I will definitely make this. But I am gonna cook some bacon to crumble up and mix in after its done cooking! Definitely a budget stretcher meal
Sounds great! Enjoy!!
My mother-in-law added a pound of hamburger and more macaroni to make this dish feed a family of six on not very much money. Her four children have now all raised their kids on it. Once, when we were short on regular 15 oz canned tomatoes, we used one can labeled “with lime and cilantro”. It contained a few green chilis, not obvious on the label, but they gave it a wonderful mild zing! We make it that way all the time now. As is evident by the comments, this is a true comfort food, both by it’s taste and the memories it evokes. Thanks!
Love hearing these stories! Thanks for sharing, Susan!
My mom made this also! Love it! Also, added ground hamburger meat or pork sausage! My husband does not like it so, I make for myself! My mom made what we called breaded tomatoes, canned tomatoes with sliced bread torn in pieces and heat, maybe add salt, pepper and a tiny bit of sugar!
I’ve heard several folks mention the bread and tomatoes. Love the idea of the pork sausage, too!
Your description of “breaded tomatoes” is what my Grandma and Mama made and served on top of black-eyed peas… eaten anytime but especially for New Year’s Day. They made Stacey’s mac & tomato recipe, too, and I make them sometimes just to enjoy something that reminds me of them and their love to cook something they knew I loved to eat. Love on a plate all around!
🙂
I truly thought this was my grandmother’s creation. That woman could make something out of nothing. Here biscuits were amazing. Fried bread. But I loved her macaroni and tomatoes. We ate them a lot as lunch. Lots of salt and tons of black pepper.
I’m sure she was an amazing lady!
Ha,ha! I too thought this was my mother’s creation. Loved it when I was a kid. Still make it from time to time. Like today, I’m craving it and will make it using my home grown tomatoes.
Hope it turns out great for you!
I grew up in Indiana with three brothers and my mother used to make a similar dish but it was just macaroni and tomato sauce and lots of butter, salt and pepper . When my children came along I continue to make the same recipe as my mother. My sons, now both grown, still to this day will ask when they come home “mom will you make me some macaroni and tomato sauce”. This is a little twist to my mother’s recipe but I am going to try it. I do wish that my mother were still here so that I could share this recipe with her. I wonder what she would think about adding the tomatoes and the bacon grease. Looking forward to trying it.
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
I remember eating this at my grandmothers and at my mom’s also. It was a wonderful dish and very filling. We lived in the plains of Texas and the grocery store was a long ways into town. They both had huge gardens and canned all kinds of stuff that we ate through out the year.
Thanks for the memories!
I do love it with those home canned tomatoes!
One of our families’ favorites of our Granny Mac. She sauteed a little finely chopped onion with half butter and half bacon grease. Yum! Thank you so much for the reminder of my wonderful Granny!
I’m so fortunate to be able to share these recipes and bring these memories back!
When I was a kid, my Grandmother used to make this, no bacon, and she used sugar!! I use stewed tomatoes, next time I make this will be trying bacon!!
I love the flavor that the bacon grease gives it!
Thank you Stacey for the inspiring recipe! I used it as the start for my own variation pasted below… it was really good. I look forward to trying your other recipes. – Lawyer Smith
BUSY MOMS AND MR MOMS CAN THANK ME LATER for my personal spin on “tomato macaroni”… takes 15-20 minutes and serves 4-5 people. I call it Pineapple Salsa Macaroni. This was so simple and yet the flavors came together perfectly, a terrific and easy dinner. The idea came to me as I was (a) hungry for macaroni and tomatoes, and (b) trying to use some leftovers including part of a jar of salsa we opened last night with tacos.
Ingredients: 3 dry cups elbow macaroni, 1/3 diced onion, 2 small garlic cloves diced, 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (drained and then gently crushed when you add to the pan while cooking), 1 can diced tomatoes (drained), 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and cut into smaller pieces), 1 polska sausage (cut into bite size pieces), 1/2 small jar of pineapple salsa from Aldi’s, fresh grated gourmet cheese (we used 1/4 cup Vermont white cheddar), 2T bacon grease.
Cook the elbow macaroni as usual, drain and set aside. In large, deep nonstick skillet, heat bacon grease over med-high and then add the onions and garlic until translucent. Then add the sausage pieces to brown. Then stir in all other ingredients except the grated cheese. Stir occasionally as the ingredients heat. Serve and top with the grated cheese. Good with iced tea and saltines. Also would be good with red wine and hot bread and butter.
Substitute or add ingredients as you wish (smoked chicken instead of sausage?) BUT DON’T SKIP THE TOMATOES, ARTICHOKES, AND PINEAPPLE SALSA. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your variation!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Such fond memories of my mother making this and everyone loved it! She had an incredible talent for making a delicious, filling meal out of nothing. ???? We were very poor but honestly didn’t realize it until many years later. She had a huge garden, did lots of canning and we always had wonderful meals!
My background is very similar and I too didn’t realize how much we did without until later in life. Like you, it never felt like we were at any disadvantage. I think it’s all in how were were raised.
This was one of my favorite side dishes growing up in the Midwest!!!! Thanks for sharing this!!!!!!
Absolutely! 🙂
This dish is very good and filling no matter what you may like to add. My Mom always added some shredded cheese on top and put it into the oven until the cheese was melted and the dish was bubbly. We had this many a night when there wasn’t much food left in the pantry or freezer until payday. She only add a little sugar to take the tartness out of the tomatoes if they needed it. Our Moms could really stretch a dollar and always had something hot and filling on the table for us to eat, didn’t they. We never went hungry and we didn’t realize how poor we were. I still fix this dish and the family always wants it during the holidays.
Thanks, Stacey for sharing this recipe.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
I love how recipes like this remind us of all those things!
I would say before cooking
2 cups macaroni measured before cooking or after?
Measure before cooking. Enjoy!
Hi there, my mom made this and was my first time having it, I just love it. She would mix breadcrumbs, melted butter and cheddar cheese and she put that on top. This made it even better and she never used bacon grease.
Sounds great!