Loaded Baked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
Published 8/15/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
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Get ready for the cheesiest Loaded Baked Velveeta Mac and Cheese! Our recipe is jazzed up with cherry tomatoes, hot dogs, and peas to make it a complete meal, no roux necessary.
We are bringing in a little of our midwestern roots with this LOADED baked Velveeta mac and cheese recipe! It takes our simple Velveeta mac and cheese recipe and fancies it up with hot dogs, a few veggies, and a big ole’ block of Velveeta cheese all made in the oven.
The sauce cooks right in the casserole dish with tomatoes, peas, and hot dogs and is thinned out with pasta water to make it perfectly smooth. Toss it with your favorite noodle and you’re ready to go.
What You Need for Our Loaded Baked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
- Velveeta- Get yourself a big block of Velveeta cheese from any grocery store. Be sure you buy the Velveeta cheese block and not the Velveeta cheese sauce packet!
- Macaroni noodles– We used macaroni noodles, but you can use any type of pasta! Even gluten-free noodles!
- Cherry tomatoes– the cherry tomatoes are the other base ingredient for this cheese sauce, just like in all of our cheesy baked pasta dishes! Don’t skip them!
- Green onions– we use the white parts of the green onion as a delicious ingredient in this pasta dish, but keep the green ends for garnish! If you don’t have green onions, feel free to use any type of onion sliced or minced.
- Hot dogs– oh baby, don’t skip the hot dogs. Did anyone else’s parents cut up hot dogs into their mac and cheese? We are big fans of Hebrew Nationals or Ball Park Franks hot dogs, but any hot dog will do.
- Spices: you need garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pasta water– before you strain the pasta be sure to set aside some pasta water for later! It helps thicken the cheese sauce! We always like to take a little more pasta water just in case!
- Frozen peas– the frozen peas add some veggies to this dish, because ya know…trying to be balanced! Don’t add the frozen peas until the end!
- Monterey jack cheese– if there wasn’t enough cheese to begin with, we added a bit more cheese by adding Monterey jack cheese! It melts easily and takes the cheesiness of this mac and cheese to the next level. Feel free to sup for shredded cheddar cheese instead.
- Heavy cream: heavy cream adds a little indulgence.
Variations
Can I add other veggies?
Feel free to mix up or add other vegetables to this baked Velveeta mac and cheese. Here are some ideas:
- Broccoli
- Onion
- Cauliflower
- Fresh spinach
Can I sub the hot dogs?
Not a hot dog person? Here are some other protein ideas for you to try:
- Cooked ground beef
- Pulled pork
- BBQ chicken
- Shredded chicken
- Diced ham
- Bacon
Pasta Swaps
Not sure what type of pasta to use? Any pasta will do because this sauce is so delicious.
- Spaghetti
- Linguine
- Fettuccini
- Rigatoni
- ps: ANY gluten-free noodle will also work!
Our Favorite
Casserole Dish
This le creuset casserole dish is our all time favorite casserole dish! The white color rocks, it has a cover, and it’s great for so many dishes.
How to Store This Mac and Cheese
Got leftovers? Let your mac and cheese cool completely, and then transfer it into an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
To reheat: your mac and cheese will likely thicken as it sits. transfer mac and cheese into a medium saucepan and add a few tablespoons of milk. Reheat over medium heat until smooth and creamy.
Loaded Baked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
Ingredients
- 16 oz. block Velveeta cheese
- 1 pint cherry tomato
- 6 green onions, separated
- 4 hot dogs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup pasta water
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. macaroni noodles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, green onions, and hot dogs into a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Drizzle olive oil over all the ingredients and then sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together until all the ingredients are coated in oil.
- Next, create a well in the center of the casserole dish and add the block of Velveeta. Bake the casserole dish at 400ºF for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.
- Cook the pasta until it is cooked to al dente.
- Before pouring the pasta into a strainer remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set it aside. Strain pasta and set aside.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven and mash the tomatoes and Velveeta with a fork. Stir everything together to create a creamy cheesy pasta sauce.
- Add 1/4 cup pasta water, peas, Monterey jack cheese, and heavy cream to the casserole dish and mix everything together until the Monterey jack cheese melts. Add the cooked macaroni noodles to the casserole dish and mix.*
- Serve with fresh cracked black pepper and enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- If you would like a thinner cheese sauce add 1 tablespoon of the remaining pasta water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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When do you add the water?
Hi Whitney! Good catch! You add the water in step 9, just fixed it in the recipe card.