Ultimate Cheesy Baked Macaroni: A Crowd-Pleasing Pasta Dish

Cheesy Baked Macaroni Recipe

Cheesy Baked Macaroni is the ultimate comfort food—a rich, creamy, and extra-meaty pasta bake loaded with three types of cheese, savory ground meat, and a velvety tomato-cream sauce. Perfect for potlucks, birthdays, or holiday feasts, this Filipino-style baked mac is guaranteed to disappear fast!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✅ Extra Cheesy & Creamy – Packed with cheddar, quickmelt, and Parmesan for maximum meltiness.
🍝 Meaty & Satisfying – Ground beef, ham, and hotdogs add hearty flavor.
🎉 Perfect for Parties – Feeds a crowd and reheats beautifully.
👩‍🍳 Easy to Customize – Add veggies like bell peppers or mushrooms.

Key Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni – Cooked al dente for the perfect bite.
• Ground beef & diced ham/hotdogs – For a meaty, Filipino-style twist.
• Three-cheese blend – Cheddar, quickmelt, and Parmesan for gooey goodness.
• Tomato sauce & all-purpose cream – Creates a luscious, slightly tangy sauce.
• Butter & breadcrumbs – For a golden, crispy topping.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1️⃣ Cook Pasta – Boil macaroni until al dente; drain and set aside.
2️⃣ Make Meat Sauce – Sauté garlic, onions, ground beef, and hotdogs. Add tomato sauce, cream, and seasonings.
3️⃣ Combine – Toss cooked pasta with the meat sauce and half the cheese.
4️⃣ Bake – Transfer to a dish, top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 mins until bubbly and golden.

Serving Tips

🍽 Pair with garlic bread – For the ultimate carb feast.
🥗 Serve with a fresh salad – To balance the richness.
🎄 Great for Noche Buena – A Filipino holiday staple!

Pro Tricks for the Best Baked Mac

✨ Use evaporated milk for extra creaminess.
🔥 Broil for 2-3 mins at the end for an extra-crispy top.
🧀 Mix in Velveeta or cream cheese for next-level cheesiness.

This Cheesy Baked Macaroni is pure comfort in every bite—gooey, meaty, and impossible to resist!

Love pasta? Try our Carbonara or Chicken Alfredo Pasta next! 🧀🍝

Enjoy, share, and dig in! 😋

Visit us on YouTube: Yummy Food PH

Print Recipe

Ultimate Cheesy Baked Macaroni: A Crowd-Pleasing Pasta Dish

Author: Yummy Food Ph Cooking Method: Baking Courses: Main Dish, Pasta Recipe Keys: Dairy High Protein N Noodle & Pasta

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 55 mins

Servings: 6 Calories: 507

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

This cheesy baked macaroni recipe is delicious, cheesy, and meatier pasta. This can be the best way to prepare for get-together, picnics, special events, and holidays. The richer and cheesier the baked macaroni, the better. This is one of my family's favorite baked pasta dishes. Try this recipe to make at home; surely your whole family will enjoy it.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Servings

• 1 pck small elbow macaroni (45 grams)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

For the Meat Sauce

• 500 g ground beef
• 1 white onion (peeled and diced)
• 3 clove garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 small red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
• 1 small green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
• 500 g tomato sauce (original)
• 1 cup banana ketchup (sweet and spicy)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Cheese Sauce for Topping

• 3 tbsp butter
• ¹⁄₂ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup fresh milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup quick melt cheese
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Boil the Pasta:

1. Cook the pasta per the package directions. Then drain the liquid and set it aside.

For the Meat Sauce:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add the bell peppers and saute for 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks and letting the fat render. Cook for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, and beef broth.

   Note: If beef broth is not available, use 1 cup of water and add 1 beef broth cube.

4. Stir in sugar and Italian seasoning, cover, and let it boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately an hour, or until the sauce has thickened.

5. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Adjust it accordingly. Once cooked, set it aside.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1. In a sauce pan over medium-low heat, add the butter and let it melt.

2. Add the all-purpose flour. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the milk. While heating the milk, continuously whisk the mixture until the flour is completely dissolved.

4. Add the quick-melt cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted and well combined with the mixture. Turn the heat off.

To Assemble:

1. Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish with butter or oil (size of your choice) and set aside.

2. Combine macaroni and meat sauce in a large mixing bowl, and add shredded cheddar cheese.

3. Gently toss it all together until everything is well combined.

4. Place the macaroni mixture on a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese sauce. Make sure the sauce covers the entire surface. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

6. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool, and serve.
   Happy cooking! Share and enjoy the pasta!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 6

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 507kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 22.5g35%

Saturated Fat 12.5g63%

Cholesterol 125mg42%

Sodium 1363mg57%

Potassium 999mg29%

Total Carbohydrate 37.5g13%

Dietary Fiber 2.9g12%

Sugars 19.4g

Protein 39.7g80%

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Calcium 24 mg

Iron 100 mg

Vitamin D 38 IU

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: cheesy baked macaroni recipe, macaroni recipe, baked macaroni, pasta recipe, pasta,

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