Baked Macaroni is a pasta dish that makes use of elbow macaroni as the primary ingredient. At first look, this could be mistaken as the famous Macaroni and Cheese but there is more to this dish than just having pasta and cheese.
Meat is one of its most important components. Ground beef is usually used but others prefer ground pork, ground chicken, and even minced ham. Being a tomato based pasta, Baked Macaroni uses diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and tomato paste as well. Capsicum (or bell pepper) and paprika are optionally added to add more flavor and aroma.
The description above makes a regular Baked Macaroni but adding the Mornay sauce (or white sauce as we usually call it) makes it more special. This is a cheese and milk sauce made by combining a roux with milk and adding parmesan and gruyere cheese (or sharp cheddar if gruyere is not available). Then you’ll have rich and creamy pasta ready for baking.
Try this Baked Macaroni recipe.
Baked Macaroni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
Meat Sauce:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 ½ cup diced tomatoes (canned)
- 1 small onions, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 piece beef cube
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mornay Sauce:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups fresh milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 ounce grated parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
Watch the cooking video:
Cooking Procedure
- Prepare the elbow macaroni according to instructions in the package and intentionally cut the cooking time so that the macaroni is not well done (the macaroni will be fully cooked once baked) then drain and set aside.
- Prepare the meat sauce by heating a cooking pot and melt-in the butter.
- When the butter is hot enough, add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes or until the color turns medium brown.
- Add the onion, green bell pepper, and diced tomatoes then stir and simmer for 3 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the tomato paste and paprika then stir and cook for a minute
- Add the beef cube and water then stir until everything is well distributed. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Put-in the sugar, salt, and pepper then mix well. Turn of the heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Mornay sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the flour stir constantly for about a minute (color must be yellowish and not brown).
- Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
- Add salt and pepper then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cheeses and whisk until melted. Set aside
- Combine the cooked macaroni and meat sauce in a baking dish then toss until the meat sauce is well distributed.
- Arrange the macaroni and pour the Mornay sauce over it. (Spread the Mornay sauce over the macaroni and meat sauce mixture ensuring that every space is covered)
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool down a bit.
- Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 8
Welcome to Panlasang Pinoy!
Hi Vanjo, Can I use microwave I don’t have oven either.
ilang serving po nagagawa sa recipe na 2
This is good for 5 to 6 persons.
Kuya im a big fan of you love all your recipes iba talaga pagkaing pinoy. ilang cups ba ang 1 ounce of parmesan cheese?thanks
Hi Kuya! Can I use crushed tomatoes (canned) to substitute diced tomatoes, its not always available in stores here at Doha…
thanks!
Yes May, you can use crushed tomatoes.
good day sir vanjo..can we cook ds n a microwave? tnx
hi all, i followed this recipe and turned out great! I don’t even have an oven so i baked it in microwave oven for 8mins max temp(not sure if this is right) but turned out great! Many said it would not ‘bake’ it using microwave but it did. I just made sure macaroni was fully cooked and mornay sauce was thick enough. Im very satisified by the outcome coz i wasn’t hoping a good outcome coz i googled and many said microwave won’t bake it. Also, i wasn’t able to find sharp cheddar(i didn,t know what it is until i googled but even if i do, store i went to doesn’t have it so I used kraft cheddar cheese & parmesan). Love it! Thanks!!
Thanks po Sir for this recipe.I need to cook this for our simulated function sa school, and this will help me
. But I decided to use an ordinary quick melt cheese rather than parmesan cheese kasi po masyadong mahal yung price ng parmesan. pareho lang po kaya yung magiging result? sana po makarespond kayo. thanks po ulit 
godbless
hi ian! was wondering kung naging ‘matagumpay’ ung quick melt cheese instead of the parmesan. thanks! will cook this tom and don’t think we have parmesan cheese avail nearby. hope to hear from you very soon. thanks!
Hi kikai! sorry late response, i’ve tried it,at yes,it worked for me
Hope yung sayo ganun din. 
Hi Sir Vanjo,
I have a question is your Panlasang Pinoy Cookbook volume 1 recipe is free? Thanks.
I exactly followed your recipe it’s so good if my friends didn’t devour it quickly I was supposed to take photos
)
Thank you! I remember my mom making this; but she doesn’t remember how to make it anymore! So, I’ll flip this one to her hoping she’ll cook this for us again =)
On a Friday night, my daughter and I thought of something yummy to eat and well baked macaroni came first so we started google searching and studied your recipe. Three hours passed and we are full, gastronomic cravings sated, was uber delicioso and perfected it for a beginner like me. Thank you so much and keep it up.
hi vanjo greetings!!! you know everytime I feel bored I just open my computer and I always look on your site especially on your menu and I find it all very interesting…although there are lots of procedures beside you on “youtube” but I only find yours more easy and simple to cope with… I’ll try this recipe on my bday on feb.2…ummm Im excited to make this one… “baked macaroni” one of my favorite!!! more power to you vanjo
i try to make this recipe on sunday… my bday surprise for my hubby…. hope it will be successful… thanks in advance for this recipe
more power!
wazuuup!!!tnx 4 sharing dis yummmy baked macaroni recipE,,,”PERPECT” nkakalaway as in ever,,,hmmmp ty uli