Feed the family with easy mac ‘n’ cheese

Mac ‘n’ cheese is a crowd-pleaser in countless households, but making a cheese sauce from scratch can sometimes be a bit of a hassle.

But we’ve got a great cheat for you - use a tin of soup.

It’s cheap, simple and no less tasty.

What you’ll need

Serves four people

• 300g pasta (macaroni works best, but any pasta will do)
• a tin of condensed cream of chicken, mushroom or celery soup
• 100g grated cheese
• a splash of milk if you need it 

Optional extras:

• frozen vegetables
• leftover chicken or ham
• black pepper
• breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping 

How to make it

1. Boil the pasta and drain the water away.
2. Stir the tin of soup into the pasta.
3. Add most of the grated cheese and mix it all together.
4. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of milk.
5. Stir in any vegetables or leftovers you want to use.
6. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and breadcrumbs if you’re using them.
8. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for around 15–20 minutes until hot and golden. 

A great way to use up leftovers

This mac ‘n’ cheese recipe lets you use up those small bits of food that might otherwise be going in the bin, such as leftover veg and chicken.

So even if you make it regularly, it’s probably going to be a bit different every time.

That means it’s flexible, you can play around with it, and it’ll never be a boring choice that people get sick of.

A money-saving recipe

Because it’s a recipe that practically invites you to chuck in leftovers, it’s a great option if you want to avoid wasting both food and money.

You can even make the crispy topping with bread that's going a bit stale or those crusts that nobody will eat, so it's a great option if you want to make your shopping go further.

And since you’re using the tin of soup to create a quick sauce, you don’t have to buy loads of separate ingredients and you can spend less time cooking.

On top of that, mac ‘n’ cheese freezes really well.

So it’s well worth making a large batch and putting some aside.

Just let it cool, bag it up and put it in the freezer, and you’ve got a quick lunch or evening meal for those days that you don’t feel like cooking and might be tempted to order a takeaway.