Spicy Mac and Cheese Soup

I was running low on groceries and needed to use pantry staples to create a filling dinner for my family. I came up with this soup and now it’s become a favorite in our home. For an even creamier consistency, I sometimes use a can of evaporated milk in place of the regular milk in the recipe. Leftover taco meat or shredded rotisserie chicken can be added to make it more hearty.

Step: 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and stir in macaroni from the packages, retaining cheese mix packets for later use. Cook macaroni at a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but still slightly firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse macaroni with cold water. Return cooked macaroni to the pot.

Step: 2

Mix butter, chicken broth, and tomatoes with macaroni and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat; stir in garlic powder, cumin, dry mustard, pepper, and contents of cheese mix packets. Stir in milk and reduce heat to low; heat soup almost to a simmer. Do not boil.

Step: 3

Serve soup in bowls and top each serving with about 2 tablespoons of sour cream.

Per Serving: 430 calories; protein 14.9g; carbohydrates 53.9g; fat 17.7g; cholesterol 47.3mg; sodium 909.8mg.