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Macaroni pie - does anyone else make it?

(55 Posts)
Witzend Mon 16-Jun-25 13:27:20

Like macaroni cheese, only with eggs and baked, so that it sets and can be cut into portions.

Made one this last weekend - first for ages - for a buffet, all the family descending for Fathers’ Day.
Most of it disappeared PDQ - v popular with the Gdcs, too.

If you use ready grated cheese, or grate it in advance, it can be put together very quickly on the day.

In case anyone would like to know,
1 lb/400g elbow macaroni
Ditto grated mature Cheddar
1 pint milk, 3 eggs.

Oven set to 200/180C. Cook the macaroni as usual,
drain well and mix while still hot with the cheese. Beat eggs with the milk, S&P to taste, a little English mustard is good, too. Mix all together, transfer to a large, shallow-ish greased baking dish, bake for 45/50 ish minutes. It sets firm once cooled to room temp.
I cover the dish with foil, so that the top doesn’t get too brown.

Mojack26 Tue 17-Jun-25 13:49:25

Sorry sounds revolting to me! But I don't like macaroni cheese...

Witzend Tue 17-Jun-25 13:55:20

Re ‘Mac’n’cheese’ across the pond, from all I’ve seen when making it there, it comes in a packet with orange cheese, just add milk and butter.

I was asked to make it for a little niece - sister wouldn’t touch it, she loathes butter, milk, and anything else milky.

Barbadosbelle Tue 17-Jun-25 14:20:34

Lovely Barbados staple.
Add some small pieces of mixed peppers and onion.

MayBee70 Tue 17-Jun-25 14:24:21

I rarely eat bacon but I do like it with macaroni cheese.

Baggs Tue 17-Jun-25 14:26:27

I added a small amount of maple cured streaky bacon, which needed using up, to kedgeree the other day. It was glorious 😋

arum Tue 17-Jun-25 14:37:34

This is the same way my mom used to make her macaroni cheese, but made 2 layers with cheese in the middle and she spread a spoonful of mustard over the bottom layer.

Seapebble Tue 17-Jun-25 14:53:56

Ferry23
"Well it's spaghetti and bolognese..."
It's not though. It's named after the city of Bologna. The "ese" indicates the origin of some Italian dishes like "Milanese" from Milan, "Calabrese" for Calabria. So there's no "and" involved. People from Bologna normally serve it with tagliatelle.

IamMaz Tue 17-Jun-25 16:48:06

I like macaroni cheese but prefer it runny as opposed to a stodgy slice!
Love it with tinned tomatoes.

Tanjailmaltija Tue 17-Jun-25 18:16:58

In Malta we add bolognaise sauce and called it baked pasta, and when it has a pastry shell, it's called timpana. It's traditional to serve it when there's company, because there is less washing up to do, and it can be eaten cold as work / school lunch, too, IF there is any left over. We make baked rice, too, but without a pastry shell. I do not use fennel. www.facebook.com/groups/cuisineforall/posts/10161400176695127/

grannygran Tue 17-Jun-25 19:24:30

Macaroni like Rice was a dessert baked in milk when I was a kid... still is in my book..

FranP Tue 17-Jun-25 19:48:04

MayBee70

Can you freeze it? I've got a surplus of milk as I don't seem to be using as much but don't want to cut back on my order from the milkman.

As you can buy it in the frozen food section of the supermarket, I would guess so. I have frozen leftover cheese sauce before.

Witzend Tue 17-Jun-25 20:04:53

FranP

MayBee70

Can you freeze it? I've got a surplus of milk as I don't seem to be using as much but don't want to cut back on my order from the milkman.

As you can buy it in the frozen food section of the supermarket, I would guess so. I have frozen leftover cheese sauce before.

I don’t know, I never tried, but why not freeze the milk? I regularly freeze some, particularly if we’re about to go away and it won’t be used otherwise.

Sara1954 Tue 17-Jun-25 20:32:55

Witzend, I’m going to save this recipe, macaroni cheese is my all time favourite meal, when all the grandchildren were living here I made it every week.
Sadly my cholesterol levels have put a stop to that, but this sounds great for when we’re a houseful.

grandMattie Tue 17-Jun-25 20:48:49

I enjoy it with tomato purée in the béchamel on bacon on top when in the oven. Yum!

MayBee70 Tue 17-Jun-25 21:23:04

Witzend

FranP

MayBee70

Can you freeze it? I've got a surplus of milk as I don't seem to be using as much but don't want to cut back on my order from the milkman.

As you can buy it in the frozen food section of the supermarket, I would guess so. I have frozen leftover cheese sauce before.

I don’t know, I never tried, but why not freeze the milk? I regularly freeze some, particularly if we’re about to go away and it won’t be used otherwise.

I do.And if we’re going away I use it to keep everything else cold. I don’t know why I’m using so much less these days. It must be my evening fasting.

Lovetopaint037 Wed 18-Jun-25 04:20:01

Njgella said this evening it is Mac n cheese. Thought it was funny as this thread was debating it.

Esmay Thu 19-Jun-25 09:23:21

The sweet macaroni dish that I loved was actually a Jewish kugel . I have numerous recipes for it .
I still love a savoury macaroni dish as well .
The weather is far too hot for such a warming dish !

Mt61 Thu 19-Jun-25 09:40:15

We have always called it Macaroni cheese, but my grandson is only young, if we take him out to eat, the menu, usually states, ‘Mac n Cheese’ & it’s has stuck.

Mt61 Thu 19-Jun-25 09:43:53

Mt61

We have always called it Macaroni cheese, but my grandson is only young, if we take him out to eat, the menu, usually states, ‘Mac n Cheese’ & it’s has stuck.

RosieandherMaw

Magenta8 Thu 19-Jun-25 09:56:19

Doodledog

Macaroni Pie is very popular in Barbados, of all places. I went to a Caribbean party a while ago and took this on the recommendation of a Caribbean friend, and it went down very well. The recipe makes a lot though, so maybe consider reducing the quantities if you make it:

Ingredients
400g macaroni
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbls butter
jalapenos, finely diced (I used about 1/2 a jar, but the Barbadians would use it all)
1 tblsp paprika (I used smoked)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 eggs, beaten
2 large cans evaporated milk (the same size as a tin of beans, and not condensed milk grin)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 balls grated mozzarella
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
fresh breadcrumbs (I used a stick of garlic bread fizzed in the blender)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 180˚C (gas 4) and grease a large dish.

Cook macaroni according to the directions on the packet. Once cooked, drain and place back in pot to cool.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter to pan. Add in diced onion and sauté until caramelised, around 7 minutes. Add in minced garlic, jalepenos, chilli,flakes, paprika and thyme and sauté for another minute.
Pour mixture from frying pan over cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add evaporated milk, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Stir in 1 ball of mozzarella and 4 oz of cheddar. Tip the macaroni mixture into greased casserole tin. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbling Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Sounds brilliant Doodle I am always on the lookout for new vegetarian recipes. I will give a go with reduced amounts of ingredients. Meghan Markle puts extra water in her recipes and doesn't boil the pasta first. I wonder if it would work for this recipe. I have been making mushroom lasagne for years without boiling first and it seems to work.

25Avalon Thu 19-Jun-25 09:58:36

I have never heard of this but it sounds interesting. Thanks for posting the recipe. I will give it a try. I suppose you could add cherry tomatoes as I do with ordinary macaroni cheese.

Mt61 Thu 19-Jun-25 10:00:49

I think the Scot’s took that recipe to New York, then just shortened the name to Mac n Cheese

Mt61 Thu 19-Jun-25 10:06:05

Maybe the Italians brought the recipe over to Scotland, who knows?

Retread Thu 19-Jun-25 12:29:58

Lovetopaint037

Njgella said this evening it is Mac n cheese. Thought it was funny as this thread was debating it.

I also think that's funny, Lovetopaint. smile

farmgran Thu 19-Jun-25 12:57:12

I've never heard of macaroni pie, it sounds tasty though.
I like my macaroni n cauliflower cheese.
Cook the cauli and macaroni together for 10 min. Drain
Make cheese sauce by frying chopped bacon n onion in butter. Add flour and then milk and stir till thick n then add grated cheese. Season with salt, mustard powder and Worcester sauce. Add to mac n cauli in baking dish. Top with Panko crumbs n cheese and brown in oven.