This cheesy baked macaroni is easy and has simple ingredients needed. With bechamèl sauce recipe, this Cheesy baked macaroni is just the perfect baked macaroni ever.
Even if you don’t have an oven, this baked macaroni can be achieve. Yes, it will still look liked the original baked macaroni recipe even if you don’t do the last step of cooking it in an oven. Just sprinkle lots of grated quickmelt cheese on top after adding the Bechamèl sauce. Then, it’s good to go for serving!
Pair this Cheesy Baked Macaroni with Toasted Garlic bread on the side, here’s a quick and easy recipe.
(Post update 9/2/2018)
CHEESY BAKED MACARONI
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams macaroni pasta
For the Meat Sauce:
500 grams lean ground beef
3-5 pieces hotdogs, thinly sliced
2/3 cup (150 grams) tomato paste
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 red bell peppers, small diced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, minced
1 cup beef broth (or water)
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
sugar, salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil (or bay leaf)
For the Bechamèl Sauce:
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
370ml cold fresh milk, (or evap milk)
5/8 cups Cheddar Cheese/or Quickmelt Cheese
3/8 cups Parmesan Cheese/or Eden cheese
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large pot, cook pasta based on package instructions. Let it cool and set aside.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil, add butter, and add ground beef. Sautè until ground beef turns brownish in color, then add hotdogs and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain oil and transfer to a plate. Set it aside.
3. Use the same pan with left over oil, sautè garlic, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers until cooked and soft.
4. Add back your ground beef, hotdogs slices, pour beef broth, tomato paste and sprinkle paprika and dried basil. Stir to combine and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until meat becomes tender and sauce becomes very thick.
5. Season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste then cook for 1 minute more.
6. Toss in your cooked pasta and combine until sauce is well blended. Transfer into prepared square baking pan. Pressed it with large spoon and compressed in the pan. Set it aside.
7. For the Bechamèl Sauce: Meanwhile, in another pan, melt butter over lowest heat and add flour. Stir until well blended and lumps form.
8. Pour cold fresh milk, keep stirring and let it simmer over low heat. Quickly add cheddar and Parmesan cheese and stir well until melted. Continue stirring and before the sauce becomes thick, turn off heat. Immediately pour on top of the macaroni and spread it out evenly while still hot. It will become lumpy and thick as it cools.
9. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese on top.
10. Bake in a preheated oven over 350°F (or 180°C) for 10-15 minutes or until the top is light brown. You need to check it from time to time. Take it off the oven as soon as you see the perfect brown you want to achieve.
11. Remove from oven, then let it cool for a while before serving. Enjoy!
Cooking Notes: For fresh milk you can alternatively use any powdered milk dissolved in water. Use of evaporated milk can turn your Bechamèl sauce to color yellowish. Use of fresh milk will turn it into milky white color.