Turn A Box Of Mac And Cheese Into A Hearty Meal With This Canned Soup

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Mac and cheese is one of those classic Americana dishes that brings a smile to every face at the table. If you like it with a bit of breadcrumb on top, you can make a homemade mac and cheese that's still nice and gooey in the middle. However, when you're searching in the cupboard for something simple and comforting, the boxed version is often the best (read: most expedient) choice. Although not all boxed macaroni and cheeses are created equal, any decent version will work in this hack that turns mac and cheese into a whole meal — just add some canned beef stew. It's quick and easy and can feed the whole family in just the time it takes to get the macaroni as tender as you like it on the stove (while the beef stew heats simultaneously).

Beef stew with mac and cheese provides a hearty meal that's full of flavor: salty, umami, even a little sweetness and bitterness, depending on what else you choose to add. Plus, the chewy macaroni blended with the creamy beef gravy — made even thicker with the cheese sauce, a soft and toothsome chunk of potato cooked in all that beef flavor, maybe even the crunchy snap of green beans — makes for an amazing bite with every spoonful. As one Reddit user put it, "Comfort food on top of comfort food makes for a great Sunday." And it's a perfectly easy Sunday meal after a long weekend.

All you really need to do is prepare your boxed mac and cheese and pour the heated beef stew on top. You can eat it as a meal and a side, in a way — a spoon of the mac and cheese, then a spoon of the stew — or mix it all together for a sort of casserole effect. If you want more texture, you can get a better chew from your pasta if you cook it for a minute or two less than you normally would. Overcooked macaroni might turn it all into a gloopy mess, like a macaroni mash, rather than a cheesy, multi-layered beef stew.

As for the canned stew, Dinty Moore Beef Stew repeatedly comes up as a favorite for its thick gravy and textured some potatoes. But Campbell's Chunky Beef with Country Vegetables is loved for its superior, seemingly homemade broth and veggies that taste more natural than processed. Just like the mac and cheese, however, the stew is all about your personal preference. And, depending on what you choose to use, you may want to think about a couple add-ons. Some canned stews are packed with veggies, but some are pretty simple. For more green crunch, toss in a handful of steamed green beans, frozen peas, or broccoli. And if you want a whole other way to turn canned beef stew into a meal, you can make mashed potatoes the star of dinner. But for a solid, simple meal, you can simply reach for the box of mac and cheese and top it with your favorite can of stew.