Mac & Cheese With Pork & Tomatoes
Oven-Baked Pork Loin for Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
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1–1½ lbs pork loin
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1 cup beef broth (or water, chicken broth, vegetable broth — whatever’s handy)
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1–2 Tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp onion powder
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1 tsp paprika
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½–1 tsp salt (adjust based on how salty your broth is)
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½ tsp black pepper
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Optional add-ins: pinch of thyme, rosemary, or chili flakes for a little kick
Instructions
1. Prep the meat
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Cut the pork loin into medium-sized cubes (about 1–1½ inches).
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Add the pork cubes to a small baking dish.
2. Season & add liquid
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Drizzle pork with olive oil.
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Sprinkle on the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Pour the broth (or water) into the dish around the pork — it should come about halfway up the sides of the cubes, not fully cover them.
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Stir or toss lightly so the seasoning distributes.
3. Bake
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Cover the dish with foil.
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Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked and tender.
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Remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes if you want the edges to brown slightly.
4. Collect the Juices
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When finished, you’ll have beautifully seasoned cooking liquid in the bottom of the dish — save about 1 cup of it to replace the milk in your mac and cheese recipe.
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This adds a savoury, rich flavour without needing extra dairy.
Pork & Tomato Mac and Cheese
Ingredients (serves ~5)
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Cooking spray (for the baking dish)
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3 Tbsp butter
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¼ cup all-purpose flour
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≈ 1 cup of pork cooking juices (or milk)
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½ a block of Velveeta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
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2 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 200-225 g cooked)
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1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or you can measure this with your heart)
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1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (drained)
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Cooked pork loin, chopped or shredded (recommend ~1 to 1¼ cups)
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1 cup Golden Crust bread crumbs (adjust for topping)
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5 Tbsp melted butter (for the topping)
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Parsley for Ganish
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1 tsp onion powder
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½ tsp paprika
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½ tsp black pepper
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1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 3 Tbsp butter. Whisk in the flour and cook & stir for about 2 minutes until it’s bubbling and slightly thickened.
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Gradually stir in the pork cooking juices until smooth, bring to a boil, and cook/stir until the sauce thickens (≈ 3-5 minutes).
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Add the Velveeta cubes, stir until melted (~3 minutes) and ½ cup of shredded cheddar, along with your spices. Then stir in the cooked macaroni, the diced tomatoes (drained), and the chopped/sliced pork loin. Make sure everything is well combined.
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Transfer the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded Cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
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In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and the Golden Crust bread crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over the cheese-topped dish.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the casserole is heated through.
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Let it rest a few minutes before serving, so it sets a bit.
Notes & Tips
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Taste before baking: you may want to add a little salt or pepper (or smoked paprika or a dash of cayenne) depending on how seasoned the pork loin was.
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If you like a little more crisp on top, for the last 2-3 minutes of baking you could switch to broil briefly—just keep an eye so it doesn’t burn.
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If making ahead: you could assemble everything (except the breadcrumb topping) and refrigerate, then add the topping and bake when ready — add a few extra minutes to bake if cold from fridge.
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Leftovers keep in an airtight container up to ~3–4 days (given the meat addition). Reheat in the oven or microwave; you might stir in a little milk or cream if it becomes dry.