Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Thin Spaghetti Noodles

Filipino-style Baked Macaroni is the ultimate pasta dish! With a sweet, meaty sauce, hearty noodles, and cheesy topping, it's hearty, tasty, and sure to be a crowd favorite. This recipe includes baked or no-bake instructions.

Baked Macaroni with Cheese Topping

• 1 Cooking tips
• 2 How to make without an oven
• 3 How to serve and store
• 4 Make it ahead
• 5 Baked Macaroni with Cheese Topping

Last month, I asked Kawaling Pinoy readers to share their favorite holiday meals, and one dish that came up more than any was baked macaroni. Guys, I cannot agree more! It's the perfect party food as not only is it everyone's favorite, but one pan can also easily feed an army of guests.

Baked mac is something I make at home once or twice a week. I toss pasta and meat sauce together, top the mixture with grated cheese, throw it all in the oven for a few minutes and call it a day.

However, to turn this dinner staple into a party-worthy dish, a simple mornay sauce makes a whole lot of difference.  Amazing how a ten-minute cheese sauce quickly turns my everyday mac and cheese from blah to ahh.

The cheese topping includes two types of cheeses for the ultimate creamy taste. It adds an extra layer of flavor and protects the beef macaroni from drying out in the oven. So load it up!

The dish has three components; pasta, sauce, and cheese topping. It sounds like a lot of work, and I am not going to lie, it is. I promise, though, it's worth the effort! Hearty and tasty and so cheesy, it's sure to be a party favorite.

Plus, it's a great make-ahead meal if you don't have the time or energy to put together a three-step dish on the day of the event.

Cooking tips

• Filipino-style pasta meat sauce usually includes red hotdogs to extend servings and add a smoky flavor. Feel free to swap with diced ham, chopped bacon, or sliced Vienna sausages, if you like.
• For better texture, undercook the pasta for about 1 to 2 minutes shy of package directions as it will continue to cook when baked with the sauce.
• Cook the bechamel until it coats the back of a spoon. Dip the spoon into the béchamel and then draw a finger through the coated spoon to check for doneness. If the sauce wipes clean and leaves an open space, the sauce is done and ready for the cheese and seasonings.
• For neater squares, allow the baked pasta to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

How to make without an oven

1. Prepare the macaroni casserole and transfer to a heat-proof baking dish that would fit in a skillet. Top with cheese sauce.
2. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet on the stovetop for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Place a wire rack in the skillet and the macaroni dish on the rack.
4. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook the pasta until heated through and cheese is melted.

How to serve and store

Serve this cheesy beef macaroni with warm pandesal or garlic bread and your favorite green salad or roasted vegetables for a delicious and filling meal.

Make it ahead

• Prepare and bake the pasta casserole, allow to cool completely, and refrigerate for up to three days.
• To reheat, bake, covered in foil, in a 350 F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 F.

Want variety? My Filipino-style lasagna recipe is just as tasty and uses the same meat and cheese sauce. Prefer something simpler? American chop suey is quick and easy to make in one pot!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @kawalingpinoy on Facebook and Instagram!

8 Servings

• 1 package (16 ounces) small elbow macaroni

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 Filipino-style hotdogs, sliced diagonally
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup banana ketchup, preferably sweet and spicy
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Cheese Topping

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 16 ounces Eden Cheese (or any quick-melting cheese), cubed
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

• In a large pot over medium heat, bring about 4 quarts salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook 1 to 2 minutes less than package's directions. Rinse under cold running water and drain well.

For the Meat Sauce

• In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add sliced hotdogs and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

• Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.

• Add bell peppers and cook until tender-crisp.

• Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking apart with the back of a spoon, for about 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Drain any excess fat.

• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, and beef broth.

• Stir in sugar and Italian seasoning.

• Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and continue to cook for about one hour or until meat is fully cooked and sauce is thickened.

• During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add browned hotdogs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the Cheese Sauce

• In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.

• Add flour and stir well into a smooth paste. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until golden (but NOT browned) and starts to bubble a bit.

• Gradually add milk to the roux, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Cook, whisking regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

• Stir in nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

• Gradually add quick-melt and cheddar cheese, whisking regularly until melted. Cook until cheese sauce is thick but spreadable.

To Assemble

• Grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

• In a large bowl, combine macaroni and meat sauce. Gently toss together until well-combined.

• Transfer pasta mixture into prepared dish. Spoon cheese sauce on top, spreading across to completely cover the pasta.

• Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into serving portions.

• For better texture, undercook the pasta for about 1 to 2 minutes shy of package directions as it will continue to cook when baked with the sauce.
• Cook the bechamel until it coats the back of a spoon. Dip the spoon into the béchamel and then draw a finger through the coated spoon to check for doneness. If the sauce wipes clean and leaves an open space, the sauce is done and ready for the cheese and seasonings.
• For neater squares, allow the baked pasta to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Calories: 967 kcal , Carbohydrates: 73 g , Protein: 44 g , Fat: 56 g , Saturated Fat: 28 g , Cholesterol: 169 mg , Sodium: 2153 mg , Potassium: 1124 mg , Fiber: 4 g , Sugar: 20 g , Vitamin A: 1991 IU , Vitamin C: 26 mg , Calcium: 860 mg , Iron: 5 mg

"This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators."

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Thin Spaghetti Noodles

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