Cheesy Creamy Baked Macaroni

⏱ 120 mins 🍽 1 pan, 6-8 serving(s) 🏷 Snack

This recipe offers a comforting take on a classic dish, blending Filipino and American influences. It features a rich, meaty red sauce and a smooth, creamy white sauce, layered with pasta and plenty of cheese. The whole dish is baked until the top is lightly browned and bubbling. It yields one pan, suitable for sharing with family or friends. Preparation and cooking will take around 120 minutes in total.

Cheesy Creamy Baked Macaroni

Ingredients

  • 1 (11 ounce) package small shell pasta
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 -5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 large onion
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
  • 3 -4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube, powdered
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 (16 ounce) bottle ragu pasta sauce
  • 1 (12 ounce) bottle ketchup (Jufran)
  • 3/4 cup cheese, shredded (magnolia or velveeta cheese)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 (8 ounce) can table cream
  • 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups chicken broth (depending how thick you want it to be)
  • 1 (8 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup cheese, shredded (magnolia or velveeta)

Method

  1. Begin by preparing the red sauce. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan.
  2. Cook the chopped onion and garlic in the butter until softened.
  3. Add the ground beef to the pan, along with salt, pepper, optional garlic salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  4. Pour in the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, cooking until the beef is fully done.
  5. Stir in the bottle of Ragu pasta sauce and the bottle of Jufran ketchup, then let the mixture simmer until it starts to bubble.
  6. Add the powdered chicken bouillon cube and the 1/4 cup of sugar to the sauce, allowing it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  7. Mix in 3/4 cup of shredded cheese, letting it melt completely, and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to your preference.
  8. Next, make the white sauce. In a separate pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
  9. Add 4 tablespoons of flour to the melted butter, stirring continuously to prevent any lumps from forming.
  10. Once the flour and butter are well combined, pour in the can of table cream and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
  11. Increase the heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
  12. Blend in the can of cream of mushroom soup until the mixture is smooth. Add more broth to thin it or more flour to thicken it if needed.
  13. For assembly, first preheat your oven to 325°F.
  14. Combine the cooked shell pasta with the prepared red sauce, then transfer this mixture into a baking dish.
  15. Spread the white sauce in an even layer over the pasta mixture.
  16. Top the assembled dish with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
  17. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese on top has lightly browned.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium2539900 mg

Recipe details

CategorySnack
Authorlaarni_red