My mother was a country cook and knew how to make a dish that was cheap, easy and good. I grew up on this as a side dish. If you like tomatoes and pasta, you will love this. Just add fried cornbread and you got some good food.
Note: I am sure there are a lot of different ways to prepare this dish. You could add other spices, chopped onions and green peppers, etc. but we like it just plain.
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Filed under: Macaroni and Tomatoes, Side Dishes Tagged: | cooking, dinner, easy recipes, food, macaroni, pasta, recipes, side dishes, southern lady, Tomatoes
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Fried cornbread sounds wonderful, sorry to focus on the accompaniment, but boy that’s stuck in my head now! I love simple pasta dishes.
I had forgotten all about this dish. My Mom could stretch a dollar at the grocery store. We ate things like this often…Have a great weekend…Balisha
Pure comfort food at its best. This is a family favorite…will have to try the bacon grease. Love your site!
Thank you so much Cindy and thanks for coming by.
I have eaten this as far back as I can remember! Nothing better!… I make mine the exact same way but I add a sprinkle of garlic powder… Umm umm!
There is no other way in this world to make this dish. I was raised on it, Cathy was raised on it and my grandchildren were raised on it !! We Hockensmith’s sure know good food ,right Cuz?
We sure do, Cuz! Thanks for coming by. I made this the other day and we pigged out on it!
I thought my family was the only one that had this regularly as a side dish … and as a main course on occasion. Mom would make this (and she always added the bacon grease) along side salmon patties, fried potatoes and cornbread and I continued the tradition with my own kids. They are grown now and when my oldest returns home he always asks for this sometime during the visit.
That meal sounds so much like the ones my Mom made, too, Gail. My girls still love salmon patties and fried potatoes more than anything.
how do you do your fried potatoes?
Peel and slice, add garlic powder, onions, a little bacon grease and fry till crispy in oil.
My Grandmother used to make this for me like 35 years ago.I had forgot all about it.It was really good.Thanks for reminding me.
I’m telling you, I could live on this stuff. I love it, I don’t think I can get full on it! It’s good anytime, like you said, add cornbread and ta da! One of the best comfort foods on the planet. My favorite way is with tomatoes canned from my garden, it’s like adding a bit of sunshine to it. Thank you for posting!
Valerie, I think you said something about it on fb one day last week and that is what made me think of it for the blog. I grew up on it and love it, too, and yes, I have made it with canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes and it is all good!
I have never added tomatoes to pasta, great idea. I can remember when mom made beans for supper and we always made bean sandwich out of left overs, in fact we made a sandwich out of most things those days. Thank you for coming by and leaving a kind comment.
My Mom worked at Foulds Macaroni factory as a supervisor during WWII. (Foulds Macaroni makes Creamettes and is located in Libertyville, Illinois. Still there and still in business.) She always made us Creamettes with tomato sauce and a dab of butter on them. This was a staple for lunch in our home for three little girls. To stretch it when we had guests we would throw some hot dogs and smoky links into the pot while the Creamettes were cooking. We all still love Creamettes and eat them often.
I use Creamettes all the time, too, Wendy. I love their pasta. This was a staple in our house when I was growing up, too. Thanks so much for coming by. It’s amazing how certain foods trigger memories from childhood. I love that.
Oh my goodness, I never thought anyone else did macaroni and tomatoes!! So simple and good. Grew up with this quick and hearty meal. Now hubby and I have this on those nights when it cold outside and want something quick and easy. Love your blog. Takes me back to my childhood and great memories.
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. Hope you will stop by often and happy to have you.
We often eat this for lunch, and we add cubes of cheddar cheese pour the hot tomatoes over the macaroni instead of cooking it together. This makes the cheese stringy. It’s very filling and delicious.
Easy and simple delicious comfort meal! Fried cornbread sounds so tasty too! I’ll add other ingredients as well bcoz my family prefers something not too plain. ;P
My mom made this all the time and now I do too (except for the bacon grease) Love it
I use our home canned tomatoes with the macaroni, too. Just tastes better and more like Mom and Grandma used to make (smile). We love salmon patties too. But often times I vary the tomatoes and macaroni with a little sugar or some spices like basil and oregano. Another favorite of mine is breaded tomatoes. A quart of home canned tomatoes with a tbsp of butter, a little sugar and some crumbled up bread, just enough to thicken up the tomatoes. Have to watch myself with this one, too, so I’ll leave some for my husband!!! Have an awesome weekend everyone!
I did this tonight with Mexican style tomatoes (green chilies).
Make you slap your Mama!
Cornbread, mac/tomatoes, yum, yum!
Bill Clay, in8angst
this is one of my favorite pasta dish’s and the bacon grease makes it. i also put cheddar cheese and mozzarella and a little milk. you can bake it for 30 minutes or not . the cheesier the better(macaroni-chez and tomatoe) a favorite at our house.
I had forgotten about this one. Thanks for the reminder!
Wow I didn’t know other people ate this!! LOL!! I was raised on this except we use butter instead of bacon grease. Definitely comfort food at its best!
Sounds like a wonderful combination. I’m thinking even cold on those hot summer days when you want tasty, but not hot. I think this will be on my menu for the upcoming weekend with some steaks, and corn on the cob cooked on the grill. Thanks Judy. Always trying to figure out new stuff for my two guys.
post fried cornbread please..sounds wonderful
Betty, Here is the link to the fried cornbread recipe. Enjoy! http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2010/07/23/southern-cornmeal-hoecakes/
Love fried cornbread! I eat mine like a sandwich with butter and
thin slices of onion with a glass of buttermilk.
I fix this with Reames frozen noodles. Sometimes I switch the diced tomatoes out with stewed tomatoes and top it off with parmesan cheese. My family loved it!
I thought my mom invited this dish because this is the first recipe I have seen for it. We had this often with fried streak o’lean and corn bread. Brings back lots of memories. Thanks for sharing.
My husband likes chopped onions sauteed in the grease till clear and add to the macaroni and tomatoes. I also like to make salmon cakes and cornbread with this.
Bless you for posting this!!!! My mom made this as well. I lost her in January and I had only asked her once how to make it. I couldn’t remember…I can’t wait to try this to see if it tastes like hers. Sounds like it’s the same ingredients….THANK YOU!!!!!
My mom always made this too and I wasn’t sure how, but she also added onions and I think a little sugar. My dad, now 94, still loves this. Will make for him soon. I love your page, I have copied so many receipes…I need to get a printer!! So glad a friend of mine posted your receipes on FB…now I can’t quit cooking! Making, sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage right now!
I have always loved Mac and tomatoes. I always add 1 small can of tomato sauce to mine and a pat of butter…
Ate salmon patties often but never had this as a side with them. I love this…made it quite often when my granddaughter was young and I didn’t know what else to fix for her! And also have this when I’m by myself for supper. Never realized it was a “southern thang” !!
My mother put okra in hers once and it was so good, onions too. She is 83 and cannot remember. Boy, do I!!!!!!!! Starving now!
My mama made macaroni and tomatoes slightly different. Cook the macaroni, in a skillet add bacon drippngs or oil, get it hot, add the tomatoes, chopped onion and a half teaspoon of celery seed. Cook this down, as we say in the south, add it to the macaroni and add salt and pepper. We ate this with big butter beans, cornbread, salmon patties, and house wine, a/k/a Sweet Tea!! You made me think of Mama. Thank you
Ohh, this dish brings back so many childhood memories. We ate tons of this, mainly because we were poor, and it was cheap to make besides being delicious! I think ours was just made with macaroni, tomatoes, salt & pepper and a little margarine (probably couldn’t afford any bacon). It’s been years since I even thought of this dish, but now I have to make some for old times sake! Thanks for the reminder and the recipe.
We love this too, and, I have not made it in awhile. I also, sautee onions in a little bacon grease when I have it and then add the rest to that.. I like the flavor ot the onions in it.. Then, sometimes I brown ground meat,onions,and whatever spices, add the mac and tomatoes to it and we call it goulash..Another one of our favorites.. Love your site
I love this. I remember eating this when i was a little one.although i did forget and this makes me want to make it.but i remember that my mom put a little sugar and milk in it.
This is an all time favorite!!! I like to spice mine up a bit by using Rotel Tomatoes!!!
Good grief, this took me back many years ago when my mother made this. We loved it. So simple, so good.
I grew up in the south and I have never heard of this recipe,but it looks delicious and I am actually going to make it tonight. Especially after reading all the comments!!
I had to respond to this one,, I can’t seriously believe nobody knows how to make this simple dish.. I’ve made it for years. But I only use the macs, & tomatoes,, NOTHING else goes in it but perhaps a bit of butter, and some salt & pepper to taste…
When I make my macaroni and tomatoes I use diced tomatoes and the juice and I add 2 cans of tomato sauce s , black pepper and a pinch of garlic powder , I let it simmer for just a bit and serve hot . A meal in its iwn