Baked Mac

Baked Macaroni

I love baked mac simply because I love minced beef and pasta. This dish is the perfect combination. If you have cooked minced beef with tomato sauce for spaghetti, then you can easily do this. The additional step of baking with a cheese-based topping makes this a favourite. We brought this to a party and it was a hit! We still have quite a lot of pasta shells so we used that instead, but the traditional pasta used is - obviously - elbow macaroni.

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium capsicum, chopped
• 500g pasta (shell or elbow macaroni)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 cup water
• 1 400 g can tomato sauce
• 7 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fresh milk
• 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• to taste salt and pepper
• to taste sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Cooked pasta according to package directions, but shave a couple of minutes off as it will continue cooking during baking. Set aside.
2. Heat up 4 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced beef and onion, and cook until the meat turns brown.
   
   
3. Dilute the tomato paste into the water, then add into the pot along with the capsicum, paprika, and tomato sauce and mix well.
   
   
   
   
   
   Bring to a boil, season with salt, pepper and sugar, then turn off heat. Add the pasta and mix thoroughly.
   
   
   Transfer to baking dish.
4. Preheat the oven to 177 degrees Celcius.
5. In a separate pot over medium heat, melt the rest of the butter then mix in the flour.
   
   
6. Add the milk and mix thoroughly. Add the grated cheese and continue stirring until melted.
   
   
   Season with salt and pepper.  
7. Pour this mixture evenly over the minced beef and pasta.
   
   
8. If you wish, add more grated cheese on top.
   
   
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
10. Serve warm.