Everyone loves mac and cheese but have you ever had it as soup? This mac and cheese with cheddar soup recipe ticks all the right boxes! It’s cheesy, budget friendly and comfort food at its finest!
I don’t know about you, but there is just something so soul soothing about a bowl of homemade mac and cheese. But this mac and cheese with cheddar soup isn’t your ordinary mac and cheese recipe. This one; this one is a keeper. It combines the best of both worlds; a warm bowl of soup with the comfort mac and cheese brings.
Not only is it delicious but its also budget friendly! Even at 2026 prices, the most expensive ingredient is the heavy whipping cream! That makes it perfect for families looking to save money on food without sacrificing taste!
You can use any cheddar cheese in your soup. I personally like to use a blend of mild cheddar cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, but use whatever your taste buds prefer.
Can You Freeze Mac and Cheese Soup?
This mac and cheese soup recipe makes lots of leftovers usually and freezes very well! There is a trick though. First, use a freezer safe soup container like THIS one. It helps keep the integrity of the soup in tact. Secondly, don’t cook the macaroni until it’s mushy and instead cook it al dente. Doing so will give you room to heat it back up without your pasta having a texture that’s right next to glue.
If you use cheddar cheese soup for the sauce instead of making your own roux, I would not freeze this as the canned soup may separate when freezing.
To reheat, simply thaw and heat. You may need to thin the soup broth back out though if it thaws thick.
What Else Can I Add to Mac and Cheese with Cheddar Soup?
While the soup stands on its own, you can make it even better by adding other ingredients! Just be sure to account for extra liquid so it doesn’t somehow become a casserole as it cooks. Some of the more common things to stir in is diced smoked sausage, chicken, bacon, broccoli and more!
The instructions below are for the stove top, but you can make this a slow cooker recipe pretty easily. Just follow the directions like normal, cook on low until the sauce is thick and make sure to add the pasta last. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top and dinner is served!
I would not bake this as it will turn into actual mac and cheese.
This mac and cheese with cheddar soup is one of the first soup recipes that immediately went into my keep folder when I first began making it.
Do you think you’ll give it a try sometime soon?
Macaroni and Cheese with Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Dutch Oven
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Dry Measuring Spoons
- Dry Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 1 C elbow macaroni
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ⅔ C chopped carrots
- ⅔ C chopped celery
- ⅔ C chopped onions
- 1 8 oz can of creamed corn
- 2 C heavy cream
- 1 ½ C milk
- 1 ½ C shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the celery, carrots and onions into whatever sized pieces you want. Once your veggies are chopped, cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the box.
- Saute the carrots in olive oil on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions and celery and cook until the onions are translucent or about 5 minutes.
- In a large heavy bottom stockpot, stir together the heavy cream, milk, and cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese melts then add the salt and pepper.
- Once the cheese is fully melted, mix the water and the cornstarch together until smooth and any lumps are broken up. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the cheese mixture to help thicken it.
- Cook it until the mixture thickens. Once the cheese mixture thickens and starts to boil, lower your heat to a simmer.
- Add the vegetables, can of creamed corn and the macaroni and stir well. If you are adding cooked chicken, add it now too.
- Cook your until it is heated through and serve hot.
