The Lazy Canned Soup Hack That Seriously Upgrades Your Mac And Cheese

There aren't many dishes that wrap you in a warm blanket of comfort like mac and cheese. It's a creamy dish that can be immensely satisfying even with the fewest ingredients. You cannot put this one in a box, as it can be made in so many ways, sometimes with the most unexpected ingredient, like nutmeg. While a dash of nutmeg can work its quiet magic in mac and cheese in terms of flavor, another ingredient that can be a real game-changer, especially on a clock-watching kind of day, is a humble can of cream of chicken soup. Adding some condensed cream of chicken soup can double the creaminess of your mac and cheese and make it more wholesome without breaking a sweat.

You know that béchamel sauce is perhaps the most important component in mac and cheese. But it is also the most time-consuming. The cheesy sauce can easily go wrong, especially if you're a rookie. The chances of ending up with the smoothest, silkiest sauce are as good as whipping up a white puddle of blandness with massive lumps if rushed. Cream of chicken soup saves you both effort and time (and a lot of stirring) because it gives you a similar consistency and creaminess without making the roux and béchamel sauce from scratch. It's the perfect shortcut for a lazy day when you don't want to move an inch but don't want to settle for anything beyond a fulfilling serving of homemade mac and cheese. 

If you don't want to use canned cream of chicken soup, whether you're vegetarian or just looking to try something different, condensed cream of mushroom or cream of onion soup works just as well to take your mac and cheese to the next level. The method stays blissfully simple, no matter which one you grab off the shelf. You just need to blend the condensed soup with cheese, then whisk in the milk to match your portion size. For a single can, you'll want a little more than 1 cup of milk. The most crucial bit here is nailing the texture; it should be creamy, not gloopy, and not watery. Once you've got that right, the heavy lifting is over. Stir everything together, pour it into a greased casserole dish, and slide it into the oven.

You'll get a bubbling, crisp, golden tray of mac and cheese that tastes like you spent way more time than you actually did. If you happen to be vegan, both cream of mushroom and cream of onion soup are great swaps for baking the best vegan mac and cheese. Just use them in place of the roux that most recipes call for, and you're good to go.