Cheesy Baked Macaroni

The pasta is luxuriously coated with a tasty meat sauce, covered with a heavenly cheese topping, then baked to perfection until a bit toasted and melty. Cheesy Baked Macaroni!

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Let me tell you how this Cheesy Baked Macaroni captures my heart every time. To begin, I love a good spaghetti, but there is something about macaroni that I enjoy so much. Maybe because it is so easy to put a spoonful load in my mouth without the smear of sauce on my cheeks.

Sometimes, all I need is to scoop this into a bowl, sit in the couch and binge-watch Netflix. So convenient!

Also, I am all in for the meaty tomato sauce. I love the ratio of sauce to noodles here, definitely not pale but not too saucy. Just right.

Look at this. You can definitely stop here, grab a fork and start digging. It is heaven! But then, let us not stop here because we deserve better.

Cheese sauce! Yes, melty, creamy and luxurious. It is the perfect finish to everything. The icing on the cake if you will.

We bake this until that cheese is melty and the sauce underneath is hot and bubbly. Then, something optional, but definitely worth doing, Broil. This is just to add that slightly caramelized taste in the cheese just for added attitude, you know. See those dark spots? Oh baked macaroni, how imperfectly perfect!

This one is a deliciously indulgent meal. I love the lip-smacking that happens as I consume a plate-full. Filling, satisfying and oh so tasty, if it is this cheesy baked macaroni, we go all the way!

More Delicious Meals:

• Baked Ziti
• Cheddar Cheese Chicken Fettucini Alfredo
• Filipino Style Lasagna
• Tuna Pasta
• Easy Pad Thai
• 5 Ingredient Lemon BBQ Chicken
• Roasted Mini Potatoes
• Chicken Katsu
• Mushroom Jalapeno Naan Pizza
• Chicken BBQ Pizza

Cheesy Baked Macaroni

This Cheesy Baked Macaroni is meaty, creamy and tasty- all covered in a heavenly cheese sauce and baked until toasty and melted.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Filipino, Western

Keyword: baked macaroni

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 521kcal

Author: sanna

Ingredients

• 350 grams elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 pieces hotdogs sliced into rounds
• 1 medium onion diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small red bell pepper minced
• 1.5 lb ground pork or beef
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 dash pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 block Quickmelt cheese about 225 grams

Instructions

• Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Make the Meat Sauce

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Cook the sliced hotdogs, transfer to a plate and set aside. To the same pan, add the minced garlic and onions. Cook and toss them around until they are soft. Add the bell pepper and cook for about two minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the ground meat. Break the meat chunks into small pieces and cook until browned and tender, about 10-15 minutes. 
• Add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Stir so that the meat is coated with the liquid. Add the sugar and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for another 40 minutes or so, on low to medium heat until the sauce is thick.
• Add the cooked hotdogs and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and turn off heat.

Make the Cheese Sauce

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter until it is bubbly. Add the flour and whisk continuously until a light brown paste is formed. Gradually add the milk and the evaporate as you stir continuously. Once the sauce has thickened, add the cheese and stir until it melts and blends with the rest of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Bake it!

• Preheat oven to 350 F. In a big pot, combine the meat sauce and the cooked macaroni until all the noodles are coated. Transfer everything in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni. Bake it for 20-25 minutes. Broil it for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese has browned slightly.

Notes

Place the dish on a baking sheet when you bake it to catch any cheese drips.

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Baked Macaroni

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 521 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 76mg25%

Sodium 845mg37%

Potassium 716mg20%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 815IU16%

Vitamin C 16.8mg20%

Calcium 167mg17%

Iron 2.2mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 845mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 16.8mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2.2mg