Cooked macaroni is tossed with meat sauce, spread in a baking dish and smothered with cheese sauce before going into the oven.
The cheese sauce is, to be more specific, Mornay sauce — Bechamel sauce to which cheese is stirred in until melted. Inside the oven, the sauce gets browned on top. When served, it creates a lovely creamy contrast to the bold flavors of the meat sauce.
Of course, it makes a lot of difference too if you start with a good sauce with which to toss the pasta before pouring on the topping.
As a rule, when preparing a tomato-based meat sauce for pasta, I combine ground beef with something boldly flavored. Our recent favorite is Spanish chorizo although we have used bacon, pepperoni and salami in the past, and they were good too. And, of course, the natural thickener for the sauce–lots of chopped onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.
This dish has been a favorite during Christmas parties when Sam and Alex were in high school. Year in and year out, there was always a request that, at the potluck affairs, the girls bring a tray (or two) of our home cooked baked macaroni with cheese sauce.
Because the holiday season is drawing near and many of you like to make this baked macaroni dish (a real crowd-pleaser, no doubt), I am updating this 2006 recipe with a few revisions and to include a video for making the cheese sauce topping which is really what sets this baked macaroni apart from the rest.
Baked Macaroni with Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
For the cheese sauce
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- 75 grams cream cheese
- 225 grams cheddar shredded
- salt
- pepper
- 1 generous pinch nutmeg
For the meat sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1 generous pinch oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- salt
- pepper
- 200 grams Spanish chorizo (the paprika laden kind is best), cut into small pieces
- 250 grams ground beef
- 1 can diced tomatoes with the juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
To complete the dish
- 4 cups cooked macaroni
Video
Instructions
Make the cheese sauce
- Melt the butter in a pan.
- Add the flour, all at once, stirring to make a smooth paste.
- Pour in the milk (we do this in increments of three), stirring, to make a thick white sauce.
- Add the cream cheese. Cook until melted.
- Add the cheddar and stir until smooth.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg.
Cook the meat sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a pan.
- Saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper with salt, pepper and oregano.
- Add the bay leaf and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften.
- Add the chorizo and cook until fat has been rendered.
- Throw in the ground beef. Cook, stirring, until no longer pink.
- Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
- Simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced to about a quarter cup (trust me, you don't want a soupy sauce).
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Dump the macaroni into a mixing bowl and add about a cup of the meat sauce. Toss well.
- Spread the tossed macaroni in a baking dish.
- Spread more meat sauce over the macaroni until covered.
- Drop the cheese sauce over the meat and spread evenly.
- Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese sauce is lightly browned on top and bubbly along the edges.
Rest before slicing (see notes after the recipe)
- Place the baked mac on a rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Sounds delicious!
picture pa lang ang sarap na!
i think everybody loves baked mac! i’ll definitely try this one.
been printing your recipes & making my own file of it. heheh! :)
I just cooked this recipe today, and it tastes awesome! However, I didn’t know what quickmelt cheese was (I’m a Filipina born in the US), so instead I substituted mozzarella for the topping – the sauce turned out really thin, so I doubled all the cheese amounts. Still delicious though! BTW, I Googled “quickmelt cheese†after I was finished with the recipe — turns out I should’ve used Velveeta cheese! Duh! :-) Oh well, next time!
tastes better than it sounds, rachael. :)
hayaan mo, pao, a cookbook is coming up hehehehe
that’s useful info, jo, thanks. in the philippines, quickmelt cheese comes in different brands. but that’s right, the texture is something like velveeta. :)
help — i tried this today but i couldn’t duplicate the consistency needed to produce the dish just like you had in the picture. you have this soft, thick topping but mine ended up thin and most of the sauce went to the bottom and through the spaces in between! it looked more like when you’re making lasagna. i want to have the same topping as yours!!!!
i followed your sauce recipe exactly as you had it written. but i used velveeta instead. it was so runny so i doubled the cheese measurements. should i have waited until the cheese sauce was the consistency of condensed milk before pouring? it was a little runny but not that runny. but not like condensed milk. should i add more cheese? i want to try again so i’ll wait and see what you say first. thanks!
purplegirl, add more flour. :) Flour is funny. Depending on the brand, some make thicker sauces than others.
Hi Connie! What size baking dish did you use? :)
LOL SInta, I am not sure about the dimensions.
Hehe, thanks! I was trying to figure out from the picture, pero ang lapit kasi ng shot (kakagutom! :D). I love your site! More power! :)
Thanks, Sinta.
salamats poh. try ko lng poh luto nito??
hi, i tried ur cream cheese topping but i used it in baked spaghetti. my husband loved it, he said it is very masarap, my friend & her husband tasted it too they said its so delicious. My friend even asked for the recipe of it. I like ur website. thanx & Godbless…
hi, im new to reading your blogs. Just a quick question: most of your recipe are good for how many people? Were just 3 in our family and I’m worried that I might have too much left overs. Can you please include the # of serving on the recipes?
thanks, pam, glad to know you enjoyed it. :)
most recipes here are for 4, aimee.
I am going to try this recipe. God help me and my guests. Question, is the c. i.e :”1.2 c. of tomato paste” stand for cup?
And how many servings does this have?
Thanks!
yes, pinayhekmi, it’s cup. :)
The yield from this recipe is good for 4-6 people.
hi connie! this will be included in my menu for noche buena, but the problem is I can’t find quickmelt cheese here (China), eh kung cheddar cheese gamitin ko, ok lang kaya? Thanks for the recipe.
cheddar doesn’t melt well, cherry. Try bottle pasteurized cheese.
thank u so much for sharing your recipe!
the cream cheese topping is the best! finally, my search for the perfect white sauce is over.
i brought the baked mac for our christmas party this yr and everybody said it was soooo good! i referred them to your website…..they all wanted the recipe, hehehe.
i am the amateur cook in our unit & i thank u for helping me start out w/ a good reputation. :-)
my fellow nurses & i wish u more power!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Camille, miami, FL
Hi Camille. Merry Christmas to you too and to everyone in your unit. :)
Dear Connie,
I super loved your baked macaroni. Fresh button mushrooms are hard to come by here in Davao, so I just used the canned ones. It was still yummy, so no complaints. My hubby loved it so much.
Anyway, when I was in Manila, a friend brought me to Amici di Don Bosco, i forgot the name of the pasta dish that I got, but it was penne, creamy, cheesy and yummy ! I was just wondering if you have a replica of that dish.
Thanks for doing what you are doing. You are indeed heaven sent.
Magnolia
Hello- the picture looks so good and I can almost taste the creamy richness of the baked spaghetti. My “apos’ , 3 and 2, like the boxed or packaged mac n cheese that is so easily available here in the States but which ,to me ,tastes artificial and yucky. Using your recipe I’m sure I can improve their taste , wean them away from instant /ready made products and teach them to appreciate real and nutritious food.
Thnx and best- Zenj
hi connie,
thank you very much for the recipe of your baked macaroni. it’s super delicious.:grin:
you see i’ve tried other recipes of baked mac,but nothing compares to this recipe & i love it. my family & my friends says it’s the best baked mac they’ve ever tasted. My friends asked for the recipe,they would try it too.
i wasn’t able to find quickmelt cheese here in uae,so i used velveeta cheese instead & it turned out fine,i’ve come up with a good consistency too.
thanks again for the wonderful recipe.:smile:
Hi Connie,
I tried this recipe the other night and it was YUM-O! I followed your advice to a add a little more flour as needed and the cheese topping came out great. I also broiled it for a little bit so the cheese browns. It was a huge hit! It was gone in 60 seconds :)
Thank you!
hi connie can u pls post the receoie for the baked mac would love to cook it but i dont know how, tnx!
it is posted, frustrated cook.
Hi Connie,
Ginawa ko toh kahapon…I used Velvetta…the topping didn’t come out like the one sa picture. I read from your post that I need to add flour. How much flour? Anong target consistency?
Second, sa anong step ilalagay yug basil?
Lastly…gaano karaming bell pepper? Ang lalaki kasi ng bell peppers dito sa US…mga ilang grams kaya?
Thanks! I love your site sobra! :grin:
Janice, click the link to page 2.
thanks connie. :) pero yung question ko re basil..kelan sya ilalagay? kasama ng vegetables? wala kasi sa instructions. thanks!
Janice, 2nd paragraph: “Add all the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften.” :)
:smile: Hi Connie! Thanks for this recipe, my family totally dug it! They think that the sauces will work as well if I used lasagna strips, but I wasn’t sure (a) whether or not I needed to make more of the cheese sauce, and (b) if the sauce needs to be thicker if I were to use it as one of the layers in the lasagna.
Anyway, I think it *will* work, because the flavor profiles are so close together, except for those two things that I’m not sure of. Any ideas?
Thanks again!
Hi Connie,
Na-a-addict na ako sa website mo, I swear! I am a newly-wed (and soon-to-be-mom) here in Dubai, and I “try” to impress my husband with your innovative dishes.
I cooked this a week ago, and isa lang ang masasabi ko (at ng husband ko). PANALO!!! At first, I thought na papalpak kasi parang ang dami masyadong bell pepper and tomatoes, yun pala yung pampalapot. I also used processed cheese (yung nasa triangle na foil) instead of quick melt, kasi di naman uso dito yun.
So now, everytime I cook, my husband would ask where my “kodigo” is. :-)
Thank you very much and more power!!!!
hi connie, i cooked this just today for my mom’s bday! and the baked mac is just exactly the same as yours. They said its very masarap pero nakaka-umay. Help What went wrong? Do I need to adjust on some ingredients?
Hi ria, pretty soon you’ll be so familiar with cooking you won’t need a “kodigo” :)
hi ice16, “nakaka-umay” means it’s too rich. if the comment came from older people, it might be a matter of preference especially for those only familiar with “mga nakagawian” na. can’t please everybody. :wink:
hi thanks for sharing your recipes…your site really help a lot especially person like me who is not really a good cook…
last sunday i tried your recipe of baked macaroni and my daughter really likes it…but i am not happy with my cheese sauce…i dont know what i did wrong because the cheese sauce is not smooth when you eat it there’s like small bits on it….please advice what should i do to have a smooth cheece sauce…
sunshine, 2 possibilities: 1) You used a cheese that doesn’t melt well OR 2) The cheese just didn’t have enough time to melt. If you’re using a hard cheese, grate it. :)
ms connie,
sorry ha ang kulit ko,i have to ask u again what kind of milk did you use? evap or the kind of milk u drink straight from the carton, here in toronto that will be a homo milk (3%)?
i like your baked mac recipe, my husband likes ground beef in his spaghetti, he likes it meaty i guess, i would try this one for sure!
the kind you drink straight from the carton.
ms connie,
ok thanks
hello ms connie,
since i brought up the milk question, i want to ask you a little bit more about the kinds of milk that’s now available in the phils. for the last 2 yrs i’ve been back home twice, and both times i had a hard time looking for a milk for my 4 yr old daughter. i want something that she can drink straight from the fridge. we were staying in cainta (that’s where i grew up) and at mercury drug’s they have the liquid milk in a carton just out in the shelves. i was surprised to see that it’s not stored in a fridge, so i opted for the powdered kind, thinking she might get sick or something. growing up, im familiar with carnation evap, condensed and powedered milk. i can’t even remember that milk in a carton they have is classified as what kind of milk? what do you call them? like here in toronto we have skim milk and the homo milk (3%), those are the ones that you would normally find in a household. the only reason why i know about the milk in a carton coz ive seen them in tv from watching tfc’s heheh and ive seen them once before. but is it normal or is it even safe to store milk just out in the shelves and not in the fridge? maybe i should’ve went to a bigger or more upscale grocery instead, or i was just at wrong place! :) i didn’t get to visit any bigger grocery only bec we where there for 10 days only on both occassions.
thank u for your patience about my “milk inquiries” :)
dhay, the milk cartons are sealed. it requires refrigeration AFTER opening. But try to buy those with the farthest expiry date.
Milk in cartons are either fresh, full cream, skimmed or low-fat. We drink Alaska Fresh Milk at home. If we want powdered, we go for Birch Tree.
Connie,
Plano kong iluto to para sa birthday ng anak ko… around 20 people ang invited… multiply ko lang ba yung ingredients by 5 since your recipe serves around 4? thanks.
ms connie,
thank u for the explanation! now i know what’s available to me.
by the way, i made the baked macaroni this morning. as always i made more than enough for lunch and for dinner. it was soo good that we all had seconds! we all like spaghetti at home, the baked macaroni recipe to kick it up a knotch! :) what a treat! i would definitely make this for my daughter’s bday!
Billy,
funny how i was thinking the same thing –> using this recipe for lasagna. i would probably put the cheese sauce/toppings on the top layer of lasagna noodles only, and use ricotta, mozzarella, and parmeasan in between. oh boy i have to try that this weekend, can u imagine all that cheeses melting in your mouth! YummY!
i tried this last christmas! my family and our guests really liked it..:)
dhayL,
that sounds like a plan…didn’t know why I didn’t think of it :D anyway, I’ve cooked the original recipe twice now and it’s always been a hit with friends and family. Thanks, Connie!
yahoooooo!!!! sa wakas na try ko na din itong dish na ito! Connie, ginamit ko na yung electric oven ko, i followed your advise na HUWAG MATAKOT gamitin yung oven. It turned out ok, the topping is cheesy although I omitted the cream cheese. All in all, my hubby liked it a lot and most importantly is that I have overcome my fear of using my oven. I think I now have enough courage to try your other dishes that requires baking.
Thanks a lot Con! ilabsyu talaga…..
btw, I made this dish on Sunday so nung Sat, before umalis ng office, I copied and emailed the recipe to myself and synchronize my smartphone para may kodigo ako. Then somebody borrowed my smartphone tapos nung Sunday after I’ve prepared all the ingredients, pagkuha ko sa phone ko, all my emails are GONE! so, wala akong kodigo, but I did not panicked. I just followd my instincts and tried to extract from my memory the procedure on how to make the toppings and baked it at 170% for 20mins.
yun lang, share ko lang sayo what happened.
sounds great!!! no doubt ill try this one!!! my tummys growling haha!
My family and I loves eating baked macaroni it just so happen that i don’t know how to cook it, and then 1 day i search for the recipe and na open ko ang pinoy cook net and i saw the picture of your baked macaroni z pic pa lang mukang masarap i better try cooking this. God bless and more power sana marami pa recipe na easy to cook pero masarap
hi ms connie,
i’m new to your site though i’ve already tried your easy dessert crepes, mango syrup and pancakes. :) i want to prepare the baked mac but i only have a microwave at home. do you think i can do this or not? pls give me some tips… :)
thanks a lot!
brenda, see? imagination and bravado are all it takes to create a great meal! :)
Thea, the new recipes are posted in pinoyfoodtalk.com.
jill, the topping will not brown in a microwave oven.
oh okay, thanks ms connie. i think ill give it a try. :) by the way, how many minutes should i cook it in the microwave? im really glad i bumped into your site…told my friends we’re gonna have a cook-out this weekend, the theme is going to be filipino delicacies…like palitaw etc that i got from your site…i want to try your puto also but we only have a metal steamer at home. its so difficult to find a bamboo steamer here in cebu…hehehe…will let you know what will happen after. :) :)
hi ms. connie i would really like to try this recipe because my mom and boyfriend bday will be on aug 10, 2007 (this coming friday), same as with jill i only microwave oven at home, so is it okay if I baked it on microwave and how many minutes?
i love baked mac, and i dont like the ones being served here in USA, next month will be my first ever birthday here abroad so I’m going to do this recipe, by the looking at the pics its so mouth watering…yum-o!!! you should have a tv program like rachel ray..:)
hi ms. connie… my pamankin really loves the baked mac… and Im so happy for that… tnx for the free tips and recipe…
hi ms connie! i am planning to make baked mac this weekend kaso i don’t have a meat broth… anu ba yun and where can i buy such? or is there a substitute for the broth instead? please help me…. tAhNK U SO MUCH
hi ms connie i tried it today the cheese topping was so runny even if i doubled the flour anyway it tasted very delicious still but it could have been perfect with the cheese ;(
Well, I can’t guess what happened with your topping, Hazel. Most readers were able to reproduce the dish. Even as far as Shanghai. :)
thanks ms.connie our baked mac’s a hit! with only 5 people(me included) to eat, every bit was gone in 1 sitting! at first i was concerned with the amount of vegetables used. i thought it was too many. but then the result was incredibly yummy..
i did had a few mistakes though because i was rusty(have not been cooking anything for 5yrs).
first, i put in 1L of broth instead of 3-4cups coz i forgot to measure before setting it aside. i fixed it by not covering it while it simmers so the liquid evaporated and it was fine..
2nd mistake was when i cooked the cheese topping in a sauce pan. it burned when i add the water even in low heat, i think its because the sauce pan was too manipis. so i had to redo it this time using an old thick frying pan…
oh one question though, i wanted to try the topping with mozerella cheese (however do you spell mozerella?!) this is my first time to bake so i dont really know how.. can you give me a tip on how i can add the mozerella?
anyway, i look forward for your recipe book and i hope i can be one of those people to have it first. it will be an honor..
Hi Connie,
I want to try this recipe next week. I went to a party 12 years ago, during my last visit in the PI. I fell instantly in love with baked macaroni. I have a question, how much sugar should I put? I am a novice cook and I still follow everything to the “t.” Thanks.
My husbands birthday is coming and were thinking of what to prepare other than the usual pansit and chicken. Then i heard people craving for the real baked macaroni. I am not an avid fan of baked macs but husband is, so, i decided to try your recipe using what is left in my freezer and cans from the pantry. I almost had all the ingredients except for some, like, cream cheese, and basil. I am into a little cooking so i managed a bit. And guess what happened? I ended up eating only a little of what i cooked. My husband wants me to save all only for him. How cruel, but this is how good your baked macaroni is. Thanks to your baked macaroni and expect me to serve it on his and my birthday which happens to be a day apart, September 21 and 22.
Dear Ms. Connie,
I just told you a story how your baked macaroni was loved but did not have the courage to ask one question to perfect the topping. I missed out on the great cream cheese which i loved so much which was one that was not in the fridge. When u say milk in the recipe, do you mean the fresh milk that comes in big tetra packs or the evaporated milks will do. I find it very rich but this man of macaroni loved it. Do you think it will be perfect if i didnt use evaporated milk?
cecille, hahaha your hubby sounds like mine hehehe
prisiana, i use fresh milk, the kind in 1-liter cartons. Evap can be substituted but I really do not like the slightly sour taste of evap.
..^ yOur pResentatiOn is coOL,
bUt please adD sOme details!
Thank you!
bakit itim ang pasta
baka black and white ang monitor mo, bheng.
hi connie, wedding anniv namin sa monday, 24th and i will make definitely make this to bring to his office. balitaan kita pag nakopya ko ang nasa picture…wish me luck!
It’s 12:09 pm here in Toronto and I’m kinda hungry for some pasta, the Filipino style. So, I sat right in front of my pc and this is were my search brought me… the pic look so delicious and the comments seems to be telling the truth. In a few minutes I’ll be outta here to shop for the ingredients and we’ll ready all our tastebuds for that mouthwatering baked mac… Thanks for sharing yur recipe. I’ll drop by here again tomorrow to tell you the verdict… hehe
Hi Connie,
This one looks good – same as your other recipes, of course. I found your website just a week (or 2) ago, and like a couple of your other fans, I also used to go to the bottom of the page and wondered where the photo and recipe were. Then, I saw the instruction to link to the next page. I’m getting pretty acquainted with with your website now. I love your wonderful kitchen tested recipes.
you go, chunky! :)
hope you enjoy both the cooking and the eating, roxanne. :)
This recipe rocks! Before i knew it, the tray’s all empty! Now I was assigned to cook the pasta this Thanksgiving!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
More power!
ciao!
hi ms. connie,
thank you very much for putting up a blog “mommy journals”. i like your writing very much, it’s easy to read and enlightening. :)
thanks to your blog also because it leads me to your another blog… baked mac recipe… wow!!! i must admit i don’t like to cook but the comments are overwhelming, i challenge myself to make one. so the next day, i went to the supermarket and good thing there are helpful customers and salesclerks. but i’ll try to use the big bell pepper next time, they say it’s sweeter and softer. and i underestimated a little in the tomato paste. but that’s ok. :)
Today is a very happy day for me because a non-cook is now a convert hehe i learn how to operate the oven too, just today! thank you also for your easy to read cooking procedure. i followed it, to its every detail. and the result? i’m very proud to say it’s a SUCCESS!!!!! thank you a hundred times ms. connie!!! :) :) i can’t wait for my parents and brother to come home and have a taste of the Special baked macaroni… Yuuummmyyy!!!! :)
hugs from cagayan de oro :)
great, roxanne!!!
sheila, i’m so happy that another cook is born. you go! and don’t forget to have fun while cooking and to FEEL GREAT while watching your family devour what you cooked. :)
hi ms connie.. actually i’m not new to ur site… i’ve been an avid reader to your mouthwatering recipes for quite a long time now….. just looking at the photo alone sometimes enough for me… hahaha.. tamad… bt not this tym wid your baked mac.. since my daughter will be celebrating her bday on 23 im thinking of what to cook for her. tired of making pansit and spaghetti… so i’ll be trying this.. hope it wud turn out just like yours… thanks…
this was a hit!!! sayang lng at i’ve made a mistake on using a baking dish… ndi pla kasya sa maliit kong oven ung ngamit kong baking dish nga.. hahaha… bt newei.. super sarap pa din!!! thanks ms connie..
hello, i want to try this recipe as i love eating baked mac. will it be okay to cook it in a microwave oven? thanks.
joe ann, you mean you weren’t able to bake it?
amateur cook, the topping won’t brown in the microwave.
thanks connie…:)
hi when i was searching for a good baked macaroni recipe, i chanced upon yours..and what can i say, it was good..for my husband, it was a hit..thanks for sharing your recipe..hope you don’t mind if i continue following your other recipes..thanks so much!
Hey Connie!
Question?
what do u suggest I use for the cheese toppings , what cheese that quick melts should I buy in the store for my toppping? pls answer this cause I’m cooking this on saturday thanks!!
forgot to add, I’m in california and you just can’t buy quick melt cheese in the stores here unlike in the philippines where u can buy quick melt cheese in any sari sari stores. thanks again..love the photo ..
hi connie, can i bake this one in microwave? if yes, how many minutes?
No, Jhen, the topping won’t brown in the microwave.
hi, ask ko lang kung anong ginamit mong beef broth? pwede ba yung cubes o canned dapat? thanks!
tine, recipe for homemade broth. I am not familiar with canned broth (never used them); I don’t recommend cubes because of the MSG.
hi ms connie.. i was able to bake it but w/ some mistake., pero ok lng un.. this christmas i’ll be baking this again.. this time.. it’ll be perfect! i hope.. hahaha… thanks again…
Connie, I’m planning to cook this for Christmas— question: how do you make the good meat broth for this recipe? What if I just use water- huge difference? Thanks.
Connie, I was able to follow your recipe for meat broth. No need to reply, thanks!
what brand of cream cheese did u use? thank u!
I’m livin’ as an independent for months now. To suprise my family and relatives this christmas eve, i am planning to bring them your baked mac. I bought some of the ingredients already but i don’t know where exactly can i buy cream cheese and does it have types? I’m looking forward for your reply.
tine, Philadelphia brand. Magnolia is ok too but Philadelphia is creamier.
bluerush, cream cheese comes in jars or in blocks (in carton, like most cheeses). You can use either.
hi! ms. connie, i have tried some of your recipes and it’s really good, maybe you also have the recipe of lasagna, thanks!
i wanna try this recipe, it looks very yummy:P
good day mam! i was wondering if there is any other way of cooking baked mac aside from baking it. thanks
grace, it is called BAKED mac for a reason. :)
hi connie, ask ko lng kung pede bang lutuin ito sa microwave oven at anong setting? tnx.
melchor, that has been asked and answered. Please read the comment thread.
pwede po bang makahingi ng ingredients recipe ng bake mac?gagawin ko po this new year
Lynn, the recipe is provided in the entry.
I cooked this dish for our family Noche Buena, Christmas 2007. Pretty rich but tasty. Not your everyday dish but reserved for those special occasions.
Instead of the Recipe’s Magnolia Quickmelt cheese, I used Velveeta Cheese and combined it with Philadelphia Cream Cheese that’s easily available here in North America.
Once again, thank you Connie for the Recipe, mabili yung recipe mo, he, he.
Julius, if Velveeta weren’t so darn expensive here, I would prefer to use it too for the topping. But then we all gotta use what is conveniently available where we are.
ms. connie thank you so much for sharing this recipe..made this for our dinner last dec 25th. everybody loved it. salamat again.
Hi Connie,
I want to bring something for my family on our dinner gathering on January 6/08 and this is what I want to bring…Baked Mac. There are other foods to be served though. Magdadagdag lang ako because many of us love pasta. We are about 40 persons more or less. Do I have to double the recipe at least para dumami? Thanks
you’re welcome, che. :)
Cynch, yah, the recipe above is good for a maximum of 8 people (6, if they have healthy appetites). But since there will be other dishes, twice as much will probably be enough.
HI, Ms. Connie… I will be trying your recipe later.. I have you still have the time to reply.. How do i get the meat broth? I dont know if this is sold in the market or made.. Also, i just came by the grocey and there are no cream cheese available in the 3 supermarkets i went to. Is there any substitute i can use? Thanks :)
hello
i tried out your recipe for baked mac a couple of days ago (although i didn’t get to incorporate all of your ingredients in the recipe) and my family loved it. im going to prepare it again tonight. thanks for sharing your recipe. :)
hi Connie, i made it, thanks for the recipe. I got PRAISED from my mom-in-law and the gang !!! I also used Glad bakeware that you mentioned. They thought the food was bought, hehehe…
*contentment* whew :)) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
feels good, eh, ogz? :grin:
Janice, link to homemade broth.
hi miss connie,
i tried your recipe nung xmas…it was really good. it didnt turn out the way kagaya ng picture pero it was yummy. my family loved it.
i love ur website! happy new yr
ms connie.. grabe supe sarap. ginawa ko siya ng xmas and new year.. ubos lahat..pingaawayan pa kc may nauubusan.. hahaha.. thanks for this.
It was my first time to cook baked macaroni and I felt great i had chosen your recipe. My husband liked it so much!!! Maraming Salamat.
SINCE WAL PO AKO OVEN SA BAHAY,PWEDE PO BA SA TURBO BROILER???
Pwede, Leo. Wag lang microwave.
Mam Connie, ano po settings sa Turbo?
Ah, yan ang hindi ako sure at matagal na akong hindi nakagamit ng turbo broiler. Sorry.
Ms. Connie, puede po bang tapioca flour ang gamitin ko doon sa cream-cheese topping imbes na ordinaryong flour lang?
Tapioca flour, not starch? Starch won’t work but am not familiar with the characteristics of tapioca flour.
salamat ms. connie for answering my question,plan ko siyang lutuin sa birthday ko sa january 23..bale sa pyrex glass baking dish ko sya ilalagay using turbo broiler..okie lang po ba sa pyrex glass baking dish?
Kahit disposable baking tray, pwede.
Hi Ms. Connie! I don’t cook well very much but when i tried your recipe, It felt so good, as if I am now a pro. I brought it when my husband’s uncle celebrated his 9th day death and all the visitors loved it. Ang sarap daw! They kept on asking who cooked it and of course I said I did and thanks to you Ms. Connie!
MMMM…. TUPER TARAP!!
hi connie.i’m planning to make this for my daughter’s bday on sunday. can i use beef cubes dissolved in water for the broth and nido dissolved in water also for the milk? thanks.
Hi Eliza. Nido will work but I really don’t recommend beef cubes.
mam connie,
you’re recipes are very practical for mothers like me. thank you very much for sharing your talent or hobbym whatever you call them. hehe.
God bless po.
mam connie,
your recipes are very practical for mothers like me. my 5 gremlins, este bagets would surely love ’em. siyempre, basta luto ni mama isip nila agad masarap na and i do justice naman with their bias towards my cooking..mas lalo na ngayon. harharhar.
thank you very much for sharing your talent or hobby, or whatever you call them. hehe. picture pa lang nakakatakam na.
God bless po.
I wanted to try your recipe for Macaroni and cheese but I can’t find the recipe. All I can see in the website is the picture of the delicious macaroni and cheese and comments of bloggers. Please email it to me. Please. Thanks, Leilani
Thanks Connie. I’ll try to make your beef broth!
hi ms. connie,
thank you for sharing this recipe. it was a big hit in our family.
also, id like to share na since i do not have an oven at home, it was called a no-bake-mac for us. Nagset naman yung toppings, and i made sure na perfectly cooked na yung mac when i stirred them with the sauce.
nandaya lang ako, kasi i used blow torch on the toppings to made it appear a little brownish.
once again, thank you for sharing this aweseome recipe!
i forgot to mention, nung second time ko gawin itong recipe, i used all purpose cream instead of cream cheese, cheaper alternative. and during that time kasi (december) ang hirap magscour for cream cheese. But it turned out just fine! sarap pa din!
hi Ms. Connie uhm pede ba gamtin ang knorr beef cubes para dun sa broth? of course I would add water
oh I saw one of the comments ahahaha anyhoo I’ll just use the store bought ones instead! I’ll make this within the week thanks for the recipe!
Ms. Connie I’ve tried it and used mozarella for the topping instead of quickmelt cheese, ok nmn at ngustuhan ng hubby ko kya lng masyado runny ung sauce niya, lesser n nga ung broth n gnamit ko at accurate nmn ung mga ingredients n iba pero still masabaw pa rin cya. ok nmn ung toppings- cguro i’ll try nlng uli next tym. Ask ko din po kung kelan ung labas ng recipe book nyo?
carol, pag nag-agree na sa presyo at profit sharing. hehehehe ayaw ko na feeling lugi ako kasi.
Your baked mac pix looks very yummy. I will cook it tonight .
How much sugar should I use … more or less lang po?
Which is better to use fresh basil or dried McCormick (in bottle)?
What brand of flour would you recommend?
Thank you again for sharing !
A teaspoonful at least. It depends on the balance that agrees with you, really.
i’ll be doing your baked mac for valentine’s day and i’m hoping i’ll do it right cause i’ll be adjusting the ingredients only for two :)
i’m wondering kung lumabas na ang recipe book mo :) and where i can buy it (better if here in US).
thanks for sharing your recipe, connie!
Hi Connie! Your baked mac is the best talga….Favorite na sya ng kids ko and my husband….he!he!he!
Grabe, ur recipes are amazing! sobrang ganda ng site mo.. uhm, gusto ko sana 2ng gawin kaso ang meron ako is ‘pork broth cubes’. pwede kaya un.? and ilan kayang cubes, if u just know.
Lastly, dahil marunong ka naman tumikim. uhm, what do you think is better… ‘baked mac’ or ‘mac & cheese’ (just for ur opinion)
thanks a lot..
Kaye, it will not taste the same but you can always substitute what is available. Re baked mac or mac & cheese. That depends on how they are prepared. If you’re talking about mac & cheese in pouches, I don’t touch them.
Can I bake it in the microwave oven? How? In your recipe posted how many serving will it be? I wanna try this but what is available to us is the microwave and oven toaster only. Tnx!
Serves 4 to 6. The microwave question has been asked and answered already.
hi connie. made this recipe for my daughter’s bday. it turned out chunky but too “masabaw”. it also took long for the cheese sauce to thicken. (it almost got burnt because I decided to increase the flame, time was running out). still, my guests said it was good. computing the expenses after, it was a little more expensive than my usual recipe probably because of the fresh veggies and the cream cheese.
Eliza, how can it be both chunky and masabaw?
Re the sauce: it doesn’t require time to thicken. The moment you start pouring in the liquid, it will be very very thick if the flour had been added to the butter and allowed to cook prior to that. In fact, you keep pouring more liquid to make it thinner and of pouring consistency.
Connie,
thanks for sharing this recipe, this is the BEST!!! My daughter love it! and I bring some to my office mates and they love it!
thanks again and more power!
hi! i am a mother of three. im plannine to make this recipe for my daughters graduation day on the 26th of this month. i just want to ask what kind of milk did you use. coz you did not state it in your ingredients. is it a evaporated, condense or fresh milk. please email me. and just want to know do you have a recipe of sans rival coz my husband loves it.
Fresh milk. Evap will do too. Condensed is sweet so it isn’t the kind you want for the topping.
hi connie, i forgot to ask you what if i dont have a pyrex dish what kind of baking pan can i use. can i use the aluminum pan? pls reply asap coz 2moro na graduation ng anak ko. tnx
joann, sure, you can even use oven proof plastic bakeware.
hi connie its me again, i tried your recipe today, coz its my daughters graduation day. my family loves the sauce kaya lang the toppings medyo disaster kasi sobra siyang thick and after niya maluto naging dry siya. i dont know what went wrong, san ako nagkulang. pls. help me perfect my bake macaroni, and masyado daw nakakaumay, i also tried your roast pork loin kaya lang naging matigas siya. so medyo palpak ng konti yong hinanda ko sa graduation ng anak ko.
joann, there is no perfect recipe nor a perfect dish. I don’t know what you consider as “sobrang thick”. I don’t know any dish that doesn’t get dry after cooling and exposure. As to “nakakaumay”, people will always have different preferences.
can i use a turbo broiler for bake mac
Yes, you can, joann.
Hi Ms. Connie! Thank you for this recipe! This is one of my all-time favorite dishes since I was a kid. My baked mac turned out really awesome I couldn’t believe I made it myself. I think it would taste better if I had meat broth though, I only used water. Also I used a tempura mix since I had no flour.
Hi Connie, i been always checking your website and this is really helps me a lot. My question is can I prepare the sauce for baked mac ahead of time? Like night before and do the toppings adn baking the next morning?
hi connie, If i may, may i have the recipes of baked macaroni and cheese and carbonara. Thanks in advance
Jo-Ann, yes, you can. :)
Sher, they are provided. I suggest you re-read the entries again, and notice the pagination links and “how to use this site” instructions on every page. :)
hi connie. your recipe looks very good.
i have to try it soon. at first i cant figure out the quick melt cheese to use and while reading through all the comments i thought i would settle for mozzarella.im glad that reading all through i came to your advice about the philadelphia. im in milan and theres an abundance of cheese including philadelphia. now im excited to try this filipino version of pasta cooking.you know im trying to impress my italian partner.i will let you know sooon.thanks a lot
made this last night for three people only and, for some reason, the baking dish I made it with was suspiciously clean this morning :D
thanks!
how do you make it low fat, low salt, low cholesterol etc…for people on a diet? thanks
I ussually cook this for regular days for my family since they liked it, they want me to make this on my daughters baptism, and help, I don’t know how to do it for more than 50 person!
hi connie,
im new to your website but i’ve been surfing for hours already, my grocery list is soooo long na.i’m 19 and i’ve just learned to like cooking, so you see, im really really a beginner. i have learned to cook and experiment on the basics on my own,any tips for beginners like me? i would really appreciate it. also, i was planning to start cooking na using our oven, it’s an electric elba stove with an oven below it, is there any difference? i really really want to use the oven na since there are so many good recipes i found that requires oven cooking, can you give me any helpful tips and advices too? i really like to make this baked macaroni.! :) hehe. thanks so much!
Gailyn, let me reserve my comments about Elba cookware for another time. We’re switching from an Ariston (convection oven) to an Elba (gas oven). In a few weeks, I’ll have better basis for comparison.
no problem! thanks a lot! right now i’m planning to cook the basics pa naman eh, like pork afritada, beef steak etc. usual cebuano ulam. thanks again and god bless!
Hi Ms Connie,
Just want to share that i tried ur Baked Mac Recipe for my son and hubby and it was a success! They love it. The cheese toppings is not as creamy as in ur picture because i used the tasty type of cheddar cheese. I’m new here in New Zealand and i’m not familiar with the type of cheese that easily melts. Hehehe. Ang dami kcng klase ng cheese dito. :-) Nways, Good job to you. Your recipes are awesome! Cheers!
hey con,
grabe , this recipe is always a “hit” in my family. Now, it’s my time to show off to my friends , hehehe, thanks to you
hi miss connie,
this one was a hit!!! everyone loved it, especially the topping! yum yum! sarap talaga!!! finally i was able to make this dish without the cheese topping settling down with the pasta! galing ng recipe mo!
thanks po!
hello miss connie, your baked mac pic looks so yummy!! just wanted to ask, can i also use a microwave oven instead of an oven when making your baked mac?thanks
The topping won’t brown in a microwave, Michelle.
what type of milk is being used when baking macaroni?tnx :)
I use fresh milk. In cartons. The ready-to-drink kind.
hi connie. how can i make my pasta stick together? kapag sineserve ko na, bumabagsak yung mga pasta, hindi ko sya buo nakukuha? does it have something to do with the consistency of my red sauce? pls help… tnx a lot..
Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. :)
Connie’s baked macaroni ROCKS!!! woot woot!!!
i have to hoard philadelphia cream cheese especially when holiday is fast approaching, ang hirap bumili, laging out of stock.
I tried this recipe and I tell you this really taste so good…
OMG~ This baked mac is so goood..I made it the other day and I made 4 servings..The whole thing was consumed within an hour…My boyfriend and siblings loved it and the sweetest part is that my bf told me that he will never crave for any other baked macaroni ever again.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe :)
hi miss connie, can i use cornstarch instead of flour?
Lumpy, no.
what difference does it make?
The topping is basically a roux which means it contains a lot of fat (butter). Cornstarch + lots of fat = equals mixture that THINS down as it cools.
hi po ms.connie..
i’m not really a cook… so i don’t know about ovens or microwaves..
just want to ask if microwave oven and oven are same. we have here at home an Emerson MW8779W MODEL microwave oven 800 Watts, omni wave, touchpad… i’m sorry to ask this here.. i think it’s just so dumb.. but yeah i want to ask you..
I want to make the baked mac.. it’s my favorite! so i want to know how they make it.
thanks alot
Not the same. Topping won’t brown in a microwave. Asked and answered several times in this comment thread, actually. :)
Hi.Im a new mom and wife,trying to impress my husbands family through my cook.Ask ko lng sna meron na ba ka ung cookbook.If it is available where and how much? Last night ko lng nakita ang site mo, when i was searching for baked macaroni, tomorrow ill be trying it at my father n laws house…sna successful, kasi first time kong gumamit ng oven. update ko po kayo sa result.thx
There is a banner on the right sidebar that links to all the info you want, Sweet Grace.
Hi connie, i am impressed on your cooking instructions. its not just u say those but you give tips to make it better :) anyway, i have a question though, can i make a good meat broth out of pork bouillon cubes? its like im gonna dissolve the cube in 4cups of water. is it ok? many thanks for sharing your expertise and passion!
Lanie, I really, really recommend home made broth. :)
yipee, it’s Christmas season, I’ll be doing Connie’s SPECIAL baked macaroni recipe again and again and again. Happy Holidays to you Connie and your followers. :)
my kids loved your baked mac recipe so much. They are not a pasta lover before but now a baked mac addict. thanks
hi, i will try this recipe later for our Christmas party. I want to ask how many servings this would make? look so delicious.. :)
wow looks yummy and tasty… i will try it in our home and we will cooked it for new years day…
had made this for gift giving sa suppliers ko… mukhang masaya naman at busog sila..hehehe!
Maiba nga po ako.. Bakit may mga pictures cla sa gilid? pano maglagay? ako din…. hehehehe!
You have to get a Gravatar, Chexy. :)
hi miss connie!!i tried cooking your recipe this morning for my brother and his gf, and my, oh my!!amoy pa lang nung pasta&sauce ang sarap na!!kaso inatake ako ng pagiging makakalimutin ko and i forgot to put basil in it. will it make any difference sa lasa nung pasta??i have tasted it, and so did my sis and mom and masarap naman daw..ano po ba ang effect ng basil sa mga pagkain?
and since we don’t have an oven sa turbo broiler na lang ako “nagbake”..kaso di siya katulad nung itsura ng luto mo..medyo uneven yung pagkabrown nung topping and pumaibabaw yung ibang sauce.
haven’t tasted it yet after the “baking” process..still waiting for my bro & his girl to arrive..i’d love to hear what they’re about to say w/ my cooking..
iluluto ko uli to sa new year..and hopefully i’ll get the same results and won’t forget anything else..
thanks miss connie for sharing your recipes!!
that’s it!been thinking what else to prepare on my daughter’s 2nd bday to impress guest…i think this is it!hehehe…..thanks connie, i tried many of ur recipes before and it’s good!darn good!
Hi Connie!I tried your baked mac last night but the cheese topping didn’t look as good as yours.I’m in England and there is no Quickmelt or Velveeta here,can I use Mozarella instead?
Inspite of the runny cheese topping my English husband loved it as well as my daughter.Thanks!More power to you.
Jo, try cheddar instead.
try cream of mushroom or chicken instead of cream cheese :)
im going to try for the first time how to cook a baked mac but your recipe sounds good and i think its yummy.thanks
Hello!!!
Ms Connie,this recipe looks delicious. Id like to try it on my friend’s birthday. Can I use this recipe with spaghetti noodles? If I wont bake it, is it okay to just mix the cream cheese sauce with the tomato sauce?
Yes, you can use spaghetti, If you won’t bake it, you can just stir the cream in the tomato sauce. No need to make the white sauce.
Hi Ms. Connie! Can i use oven toseter for this one?
If you read through the comments, that’s been asked and answered already. :)
Thanks so much for the reply, Ms Connie :)
I will update you as soon as Im done with it. Hopefully it will be a success :)
hello connie!! i’m here in taiwan (ofw) and we only have maicrowave oven in our kitchen. can i use that?
i really missed bakedmac!! also, Taiwan doesn’t seem to have many varieties of cheese,… what should i do? only cheddar cheese..huhu.. have tips? tnx a lot!!!
I don’t think the topping will brown in a microwave oven, Jen.
sorry po.. dami n pala questions abt microwave..
i was 2 excited 2 ask kc before reading all the posts.. but even if it doesn’t make the bakedmac brown in the microwave, will it have any difference in the taste? or the thickness ng toppings? no choice po kc,microwave lng tlg pede q magamit. salamat ulit!!
Re “will it have any difference in the taste…”
Can’t answer that because I’ve never cooked baked mac in a microwave.
Hi Miss Connie!
I simply love your site. I have always been a foodie on both ends although I must say, I love to eat more than to cook. I stumbled upon your site while looking for a decent recipe for polvoron and viola! I have been an avid fan eversince! I have just tried out this baked mac recipe and my family loved it! We always do the generic grated cheese topping. This was a really good change. More power!
Oh, and have you released a cookbook yet? I’ll be sure to get me one of those!
Joee, there’s a Tastebook but I’m coming out with something better this year. Hopefully. :)
sounds pretty hard with so many ingredients, but i’ll try it myself i love baked macaroni. thanks a lot ;-)
Hi again Ms Connie! I am so thrilled to hear about this Tastebook of yours. Tomorrow, I’ll try to check it out at Powerbooks. Or is it available at National Book Store? Anyways, I’ll check at both stores tomorrow. And I’ll be waiting for the new one this year. Oh, and I love the fish and chips recipe! Best wishes!
Oh, sorry, it’s only available online. It’s a print-on-demand book that can be ordered on Tastebook.
Hi, if I want to make it 1 kilo of macaroni, shall I just have the ingredients increased 4x?
That’s a safe guide.
ano po ung good meat broth?
san ko po mabibili un sa us?
Recipe for home made broth.
Tried this recipe and it’s sooooooo good. It’s also good the next day and straight out of the fridge. The creamy cheesy topping makes it. Thank you for this recipe. To the other Lynn in US, beef broth is available in any supermarket, either canned or boxed, go to the soup aisle and take your pick from different brands.
thanks god i found you………i will try this recipe on week end..my daughter loves my bake mac..but im tryng to try something more yummy.
i’ll try this later give you feedback if nagustuhan ng kapatid ko
Hi Connie,
How do you get the recipe for baked mac?
Thanks
Please refer to the “PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT” right before the “Submit Comment” button.
Hi Ms. Connie,
I always visit your site. You are a fantastic cook! Anyway, for your baked mac recipe, I bought a half kilo of pasta and your recipe is 255g only. Should I double the amount of it? Like for example for 1/4kg of ground beef, salami etc? should I make it half kilo?thanks in advance!
The meat, yes, double them. But the rest, not necessarily. Like topping. Your mac will fit in a deeper dish that won’t require double the amount of the topping, for instance.
Thank you po for answering my question. :-) God Bless!
Hi Ms. Connie! I tried your baked mac kagabi and it was perfect! Woohoo!!!!!! Well, my topping needed more flour and had bits of unmelted cream cheese but this is my 2nd time to bake (my first was your cheesecake and it was perfect talaga!) and 1st time to attempt baked macaroni.
I started preparing in the middle of TV Patrol World and finished chopping all the ingredients nagstart na ang Only You. May kasamang nood pa kse kaya natagalan. Still haven’t mastered cooking while chopping or preparing ingredients kse tried and tested ko nang sunugin ang mga niluluto kapag pinagsasabay ko esp if trying a new recipe. Hehehe. Medyo di perfect ang topping ko pero since the sauce was already great, di na nanotice ng mga spaghetti monsters kong pinsan! :D I used just a little bit of the pasta and the toppings to fill 6 very small oven-proof round ramekin-like dishes, then I put the rest sa fridge. I made it this way coz our oven drowned when typhoon Frank hit Iloilo last year and hasn’t been fixed or replaced yet. I wanted to try bake it using our small oven toaster. If ever I don’t get it right, di sayang lahat. So, when I saw my little babies bubbling away, I was sooooo excited and relieved. My experiment”?s gonna be edible! I turned the timer til I couldnt turn no more (about 15 minutes) and made the topping golden brown in color. Some were a little orange in color maybe bcoz my topping wasn”?t thick enough and my pasta was a bit saucy. :D I should have left the pasta alone for a few more minutes so it could absorb more of the sauce. I asked my cousins if it was okay but they just shrugged. Paolo finished 2 mini servings and said “Wala na?”After finishing 2 also, Anton said he didn”?t want to sleep na mabigat ang tiyan so tomorrow nalang daw ulit. So I guess they liked it noh?
Yep, it’s best to let the baked mac sit and rest for a while so that they don’t slide all over when serving. But in my house, it’s just like yours — people can’t wait hehehe
Thanks so much Ms. Connie for your wonderful, easy to follow recipes. Sorry for a very long “comment”. Can I still add more flour to my leftover topping? I”?m planning on cooking flour in butter again and then slowly add the previous topping I made. Tama po ba?
For those who do not have an oven, pwedeng pwede ang oven toaster. If my experiment didn”?t turn out well, my next option would be to go to my other Tita”?s house and use her oven. But since it did, I”?ll just visit my Tita if I need to use a bigger container. :D
Make a fresh batch of topping, kahit half the amount only. When done, stir in the leftover.
ok..thank you very much! :D
Thanks again Ms. Connie for the recipes and for taking time to answer questions of your makulit readers aka me. Thanks for sharing so that we could also share the good stuff to our friends and family. We owe all our pogi and ganda points to you. :D
PS. This is how I really wanted to thank you but was in a hurry to do what you have suggested para makaabot ng lunch. :D
Pogi and ganda points? HAHAHAHA I love that!
hi miss connie! what milk do you use? evap or whole milk?
Generally, I use skim milk.
Hi Ms Connie! My husband has been requesting me to bake lasagna for him. I have tried one recipe my sister gave me which she got in one cooking class she attended in Mandaluyong but it didn’t turn out good, too oily for us. I have tried to search your site but couldn’t find one. Lasagna was just mentioned in some of your entries but not really as an article. Please, please, if you have time can you make an entry on lasagna with the step by step photos if it is not too much to ask. Thank you po!
Try the chicken, ham, mushrooms and sour cream lasagne.
thank you, I will try this recipe. Also, I will patiently wait for your classic lasagne recipe, your style :) (hubby craves for the lasagna with ground beef po kasi e)
Hi Ms Connie,
Phew!Been opening your website for 2 days, and it was down. Was so worried that I can’t find this recipe again. Really glad your website is now working. :)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I tried this last month, and it was a hit! My first attempt to cook pasta. Yum-yum! Will cook this again this coming weekend. Can’t wait for my other friends to taste it. Thank you again!
ms. connie,
does using ground pork instead of beef will make a difference? frozen pork here has minimal fat. i don’t cook or use ground beef anymore simula ng makatikim ang asawa ko ng malansang giniling na karne na ginamit sa spaghetti ng isang kakilala namin.
thank u.
HI ms Connie! jsut finished chopping all the veggies for this dish, whew! hehe. i have half a kilo of pasta and so i thought i need to double everything so i chopped 1/2 kg of tomatoes and the other veggies. as for the bacon, i mistakenly bought regular bacon instead of smoked bacon. i hope it will still turn out okay. i dont have energy anymore for tonight so i’ll just cook the dish tomorrow. will let you know how it turns out. naku sana masarap pa rin :)
Regular bacon will work. What I really don’t recommend for the sauce is honeycured bacon.
ive been using this recipe of urs as my recipe for bake mac my famly here in cali loves it. thanks so much.i just did it again today its in the oven right now.we have a bday party goin on.im just 20..anyway thanks so much xoxo oh and 1 question its just today that i doubled all ur ingredients for increase servings.i figured that the cheeses tends to be burned or sumthin how can i avoid that? i use philedelphia cream cheese and the velveeta ones.its still in the oven so i dont know if its gonna taste good.im seeing like small chunks of burnt cheese in my topping will im cookin it. huhu:((
Unless the dark spots are actually black, they not burnt — the dark spots means the topping is toasted which really gives it texture.
hi ms. connie thankyou it turned out great! ur a blesing ^^
hi ms. connie,
We’ll be having a party this Saturday and I’m so excited to cook this recipe for baked macaroni! I just have few questions about it:
1. the guest will be around 30 people, should i just multiply everything? you said that its good for 4-6 people then i can multiply the measurements by 5? right?
2. what kind of tomatoes are you using? is it the ones we can just buy from the market? or can we just use a ready made sauce??
hope to see your reply as soon as possible.. thank you!!!!
A party means there will be other dishes aside from the baked macaroni. So, the consumption will not be the same.
I don’t recommend ready-made sauces. Fresh tomatoes or even canned stewed tomatoes are the better choices.
Hi, Connie. I’m so excited to have found your website. Can’t you tell, this is my 2nd question for the day? I apologize but I’m a frustrated cook so expect more queries coming = )
Can I make the pasta with meat sauce the night before and do the cheese topping & bake it the ff day?
Thanks,
Kay
Yes. :)
I would want to try this. I haven’t done this before. I am not interested when ingredients are hard to fine and very complicated, but this recipe looked easy. I don’t cook that much but hope I can make it. Btw, as for the meat broth, can I use broth cubes instead?
hard to find, not hard to fine.. sorry…
hi connie!
been an active lurker of your food blog :)
wana try this recipe for noche buena. can i do this using microwave oven? how should i go abt it? :)
The topping will not brown in a microwave.
Merry Christmas sassy! Your Baked Macaroni is one of our handa tonight. Thanks for the recipe :-)
Hi Ms Connie,
can I use Cottage cheese instead? yun lang kasi available na parang quickmelt. so hard to find quick melt cheese here in Oz. Happy Holidays
Actually, you can use just about any kind of cheese so long as it melts into the sauce.
Happy Newyear!!!
I just tried this yesterday and It was beautiful! I finally found the perfect baked mac recipe that I’ve been searching! Thanks Ms Connie!!!
Hello Miss.Connie
A quick question,What Butter i am going to use salted or unsalted? Would Anchor will be fine?.Sorry for this question.I want to make this recipe for my Husband Birthday nextweek.
I hope I can get the right consistency,it would be my first time making this.
Thank you.God Bless!
It doesn’t matter. If you use salted, you just reduce the amount of salt you add later.
Miss Connie,
May isa pang akong question,where I can find the recipe of homemade broth tried looking on this,Im sorry I can’t find it.
It’s under the “how to cook” category. The link is on the left side of the page.
hi connie,i’d like to try this but we don’t have quickmelt cheese or velveeta here in uk.any suggestions?can i use laughing cow cheese triangles together with philadelphia cheese?please help!thanks!
Any cheese, so long as it melts well.
i cannot find d recipe.. where do i click it?
Did you read the text right above the submit button?
Hi Miss Connie,
I just need to let you know that I have oftentimes done the way you make the bake mac and its always been a hit! I’ll never get tired trying all your recipes. Thank you so much!
Hi Connie,just made your baked mac but the sauce turn out to be liquid eventhough I was finishing cooking the pasta there.Here in Germany where I currently live they sell fixes(powder) for baking pasta and they always advised put uncooked pasta on a baking dish and pour the cooked sauce to it and top it with cheese and bake for 20-30min.It’s easy!What if i try it next time to cook the pasta totally on the sauce,would it work?But it’s delicious and i made it myself without fixes and bec. of your help.My husband love it too.Thanks!!!
“eventhough I was finishing cooking the pasta there”
I don’t understand.
If the sauce is thin, I suggest simmering the sauce uncovered during the last 10 minutes of cooking to thicken it.
As you said,I was undercooking the pasta for 5 min. and finishing cooking it on the sauce but still too watery.Maybe,simmering it uncovered would be the solution.Thanks for the time and want to try still some of your recipe.Gud day!!!
You don’t need to cook the pasta in the sauce. The pasta absorbs much of the liquid during baking.
Hi Ms Connie!
I will cook this for tonight for hubby and mom-in-law…
I’m (so :-()worried , hindi b soggy if i have to precook the pasta for 3mins plus 20-25 mins on the oven with the sauce plus 10 mins before cutting ?
My hubby don’t like soggy pasta , a little beyond al dente will do ..
I really want to impress him after my many palpak baking attempts lol
thanks!
Undercook the pasta. It won’t cook too much after that in the oven because 20-25 minutes are just enough to reheat all the contents of the tray and browning the top.
Dear Ms Connie,
It is almost midnight here but I really want to share the result of baked macaroni we had this night ..
You see, my husband is french , and he is quite good in the kitchen . It frustrates me not to be the one working and manipulating the kitchen since I am the girl. I was not initiated in any cooking in my life.My mother never wants anyone to touch anything in the kitchen except the helpers .. And so , when I got married , I know , this will be my handicap. I always remember what my grandmother’s (spanish and a very very good cook ) advice , THE WAY TO A MAN’S HEART IS THRU HIS STOMACH ^_^
I was a little stressed out while cooking and re-reading every sentence of this recipe. Making sure not to miss a detail lol. But everything paid off. My husband was kinda little shock lol. He said I should make this dish again ! And so as the praises from my mom-in-law. It feels like heaven ! haha
Thank you … thru this blog , you really build my confidence . I hope 1 day , I can be a good cook like you … :-)
More Power!
Reading your comment made me smile — my first smile for the day. :)
hi ms.connie,
i’m so thankful to have found your website while browsing for the ingredients for bake macaroni.actually i’m just about to try baking and would like to buy a gas range anyways can i ask you what brand of gas range is the best?is la germania ok?thanks a lot.
La Germania is fine. I used my La Germania for over ten years. Right now, though, I use Ariston and Elba.
thanks a lot ms.connie!you’re such a generous cook.you make a lot of people happy by sharing your experiences on cooking.i’m making your blog an everyday habit.thanks a lot.i really do appreciate it.you inspire me to cook and experiment.more power and Godbless you and your family!!!
hi miss connie. this recipe was so yummy. I tried this last night and gave as a gift to my australian friend who celebrated her bday.nagustuhan nila. I used penne pasta. gumawa din ako para sa mga anak ko na naiwan lang sa bahay at super gusto nila yung white sauce topping. may left over pa and i was surprized na yun din ang kinain nila for breakfast. I just reheated it in the microwave. I used the bottled cheddar cheese spread and it still tasted so yummy.. i just wanna ask, i’m planning to cook this again next week, would it be alright if i use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste? at babawasan ko na lang ang broth? thank you and more power to u..
This is an old entry and I really ought to update it.
Instead of tomato paste or tomato sauce, use whole peeled or diced tomatoes in cans. So much more flavorful and the texture is better too.
hi…
i really want to cook this one but i have troubles with some ingredients…. I even read almost all of the comment before asking…. LoL…. i dont want you to be annoyed by us or you will not share your good recipes to us :-)
i just want to know if you have any idea now how big is the dish that you use and how high it is because i have a pyrex and it is 8x6x2 inches… so i dont know if ill just make half of our recipe as i know ou make 4 yields for your cooking… its just me and my boyfriend so good for 2 persons is just perfect,,, pls help! :0
second I am really confused with the CHEESE thing.. we always buy here in new zealand i think is the ordinary cheese… its big 1 kilo block and it could be MILD, COLBY, MAIN,,, so i dont know if i can use those or i need to use those cheeses in triangle shapes and i think wrap in foils? sorry im so bad at this because i never cooked before… and lastly miss connie the MILK… we have here the FRESH milk or its says on the label STANDARDISED PASTEURIZED MILK… is that the milk that i can use???? thanks a lot really… im craving for baked mac really….
thanks in advance… and just to tell you as well i am addicted to your site… and i always have a kodigo when cooking… hoping to be as good as you one day!!!! thanks!
That’s a 9×13 pan and the yield is good for 4 to 6 persons.
You can use any cheese that melts well.
Milk means whole milk although skim milk is good too.
hi
i did it! it was my bf’s new fav now he said and the pasta sauce,,, oh my oh my… it was delicious… the only problem i had is the topping.. it did not set like what you have on the picture so when i cut it the topping is like soggy… i want to acquire like yours in the photo.. is that why you need to let it sit for 10mins? because i just let it sit for 5mins and cut it. or is my cheese cream sauce not as thick as what you did? because ill be cooking it again to impress my in-laws,,, thanks really.. it was a good meal… goodluck n more power,,,
You have to cool it before serving. The topping sets and firms up as it cools. :)
hi miss connie! this is a long overdue thank you note. your website is my favorite site to visit when i am in need to find filipino recipes. i tried this recipe last night and had it for baon sa lunch today. it was really good! i especially loved the creamy cheese. keep posting! :)
Hi Ms. Connie. This recipe is truly a keeper. I used regular bacon for the smoked meat part and though the end product was incredibly tasty it was a bit on the oily side. I suspect it was from the bacon fat which rendered out. Do you suggest I remove the excess fat that comes out after adding the bacon or would it diminish the flavor of the dish? Also, I read from the other previous comments to add more flour to thicken the cheese sauce to the right consistency. Would it be ok to add the extra flour after completing all the cheese sauce steps (meaning after adding the velveeta and cream cheese) to get it to the right consistency or would it taste like uncooked flour? Thanks!
hi ms. connie! is it ok if i don’t use basil leaves? or is there any substitute?
You can omit it. But you’ll lose so much flavor and aroma.
i might make this bake mac,i wanna try this sem break cause i dont have a time to cook right now looks delicious,and i will use the velveeta cheese cause its tastier than the local cheese….thank you for the site….
what other bake foods i can cook in microwave?please’
can you give me a recipe about home made bake macaroni thats cheaper in price .. or any kind of pasta .. thats fits to filipino taste..
thank you ms connie for always acknowledging my suggestion regarding the addition of cream cheese in the white sauce of the bake macaroni. I also want to thank you for sharing all your recipe with us. Now we are on the holiday season again, I will looking forward to our holiday recipe…
Thank you, Rowena. The cream cheese does wonders for the texture and flavor of the topping. :)
Connie,my new version….
Roast the bell pepper,strips of eggplant and about 8 cherry tomatoes
before adding it on the pan of pasta.
Very flavorful…and the aroma…oh,lalala.
Thanks again for the recipe.
how much tomato paste did you put into the sauce?
None.
Hi Connie!
Sa recipe pa lang ang sarap na.I!ll bake it as soon as possible para may bago akong version ng bake macaroni,
hi connie,
have you changed your measurements & ingredients? the 1st recipe i copied includes 1/2 cup tomato paste but this time, no more tomato paste.In this recipe, are tomatoes canned or fresh? is it really 1 kg? For the topping- is it 1/3 tbsp for flour? Your previous recipe is 3 tbsp flour.
can you also feature how to make pizza pie? thanks a lot.
Yep, I no longer use tomato paste. It’s now fresh tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes.
The amount of flour is always proportional to the amount of butter. There was less butter in the old recipe.
Re “pizza pie”. Search the archive. It’s there.
hello,gud evening…just finish cooking your baked mac…it is a success!! my 2sons just love it..!! sbi nga ng bunso ko, para daw gawa ng 5star hotel..hehehe..thank you so much ms. connie for this recipe,hindi ko pa rin na perfect ksi hindi pareho ng consistency ng sa yo yung topping ko,,but it is just so delicious na pati ako humaanga sa recipe..thank you again!!
ms connie, i wana try this recipe but my BIG problem is that I dnt have a gas range to bake, can u pls give some advice or alternative not to bake it????thaNKS..
GOD BLESS
Just wondering if there is a mistake on the recipe where the amount of flour should be the same as that of the butter for cooking a roux. If so, the current recipe is showing 1/3 tablespoons of flour only where it should be 1/3 cup of flour??
Oh, wow. Silly me. Let me correct that. Thanks.
Hi Connie,
Do I have to use a Pyrex baking dish or can I use an aluminum tray?
Any overproof baking dish.
Can I substitute chicken for the ground beef?
Try and find out. :)
love the recipe, it is perfect, my fiance is from angeles city, pampanga and i lived with him for a year there, we both missed Toll House baked mac, and this was the closest we could find to it!! thanks!! it was excellent..
i found that philadelphia cream cheese works the best and to use a whisk instead of a spoon, makes the sauce so smooth! excellent receipe!1
thanks again
Miss Connie, when you cook the tomatoes for the pasta sauce, is that with seeds and skins and all?
Yes, I just chop them.
hi connie!
the 1k of tomatoes in the recipe, are these fresh tomatoes? what if i use the peeled or whole tomatoes in can, do i still need the cup of broth? thanks a lot.
Probably not anymore.
pde bng s stremer iluto instead s oven?kc wla kng oven
A steamer is for steaming, not baking. This is a baked dish.
hi, can i use turbo broiler instead of oven? don’t have oven :(
A turbo broiler is a small convection oven.
Ic. thanks.. can i also use oven toaster for this recipe?
No. :)
Hello Ms. Connie,
I Love this recipe. Am thingking on trying this one, However can i use turbo for this? since we don’t have oven at home,
Yes. :)
Ever since i got this recipe two years ago, i always have second thoughts when eating/ordering baked mac in some restaurants already. I simply can’t forget the heavenly taste of this masterpiece.
Excellent, I could even make slight variations, but not away from the original recipe. I’ve impressed a lot of friends & (strangers).
That is good to know. Thank you. :)
Hi! Ms. Connie, i really love your site..Actually, i almost spend my whole day just writing and reading some of your recipes, and it helps me a lot to prepare delicious food for my hubby as well as to my relatives and friends..By next week i have two recipes to try, the Egg Noodles with Pork & Mushrooms and Pasta Primivera with Fresh Tuna, so excited to cook!
Thanks a lot Ms. Connie
God Bless!
If you have a printer, there’s a “Print this post” link at the bottom of every recipe. :)
I’ve always been si afraid to deviate from the usual pasta sauce i grew up with- the one made using ready made spag sauce and ketchup. I view this recipe several times but quite hesitant to pursue until this week end when i finally decided to give it a try. OMG! It was worth a try. I dont think I will ever go back using the old recipe. Thank u so much for this wonderful creation:)
Two thumbs up for you. :)
I made this last Friday and it was delicious! :D
I just made too much pasta and too little sauce.. But now I know better. Hehehe.
Thanks, Miss Connie! :D
I am planning to make the baked mac tomorrow and I was going over your ingredients. I couldn’t find tomato paste in the ingredients but you mentioned it in your procedure. How much tomato paste should I use? I read in one of your comment threads that canned tomatoes can be used in place of tomato paste or fresh tomatoes?
I found the answer in your November 27, 2010 comment thread re your deletion of tomato paste in the recipe and use whole tomatoes instead< but the tomato paste is still mentioned in the procedure.
It says right in the first paragraph that this is an updated version of a 2006 recipe. You’re reading comments posted before the update and may no longer be relevant.
Re: tomato paste. I’ve made the correction.
Hi Ms Connie, I’m just wondering, since you edited the quickmelt cheese, sharp cheddar cheese is better to use then? Does it usually say in the box if the cheddar cheese is ‘sharp’? I’m planning to do this for my mom’s 50th birthday. Thanks!
Yes cheddar is better. Cheddar is either mild, medium, sharp, mature… Good brands specify what kind if cheddar is in the package.
hi ms connie… i’m planning to try ur recipe but I don’t have a real oven at home… can I use microwave oven instead? tnx and more power!
That question has been asked and answered so many times in this thread. :)
Hi all, I just finished cooking this using microwave oven and turned out great! I know it has been said few times that microwave won’t make it great but it did. I happen to buy all ingredients before realizing I do not have an oven lol..so no choice I still had to cook it but this time using microwave. for pic of my baked mac pls see link below.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6132519373_3f65e2d6c1.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6133065228_3a9cea6031.jpg
thanks!!
The top didn’t brown but so long as you’re happy with the result, that’s great! :)
hi ms. connie,
so much love your site..
just like to ask if magnolia cheddar cheese, easily melts??..pde po ba yung sa baked mac…thanks so much po..
God Bless po!
I’m not familiar with “magnolia cheddar cheese.” Quickmelt is okay.
ok..thanks Ms. Connie : )
gus2 ko i try pwd ko bang gawin sa oven toaster?
That’s been asked and answered in this discussion thread, Grace.
I was searching for a baked mac recipe. I actually knew how, but I have this strange feeling of making my dish unique. And when I finally bumped into this post, I knew how cream cheese makes any dish better! Thank you for sharing this! And I’ll be cooking tomorrow, I will be updating you of the outcome! thanks for helping us – wanna-be cooks- satisfy our desires… God Bless!
I made this last Sunday for my brother’s birthday… super sarap!!! everyone said it was the most delicious baked macaroni they ever tasted! thanks soooo much!
I made this last Sunday for my brother’s birthday… super sarap!!! Thanks Ms Connie :) everyone said it was the best baked macaroni they ever had!!!!!
I have tried cooking this dish and it is really worth the effort. Now I am planning to have this as one of the main meals for Hubby’s birthday this weekend, and now I am thinking that the 1kg recipe will not be enough for the family on his birthday and the re-heating episodes the following days…Dishes like this even if re-heated after 2-3days tastes better…yumyum!!
Thanks Ms. Connie for sharing!
Hi, Miss Connie! I cannot find any block of cream cheese here in UAE. What they mostly have here is the cream cheese spread? Can I use that? Thanks a lot.
You can try. :)
hello ms. connie, just would like to ask what can i use as substitute for the cream cheese? thank u :-)
Mascarpone but that’s more expensive.
Hi, Ms. Connie!
I was wondering about the equivalent amount of canned stewed tomatoes to substitute the fresh tomatoes. Would 2 cans of 411g Stewed Tomatoes be enough?
Thank you.
Merry Christmas!
Make that 3 cans and that should be enough. :)
Thank you!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Hello Ms Connie, I tried this, and everything went well except for the cheese topping. When I added the milk, the mixture quickly turned into paste. Looked a lot like mashed potato from KFC. Any idea what went wrong?
Only one reason that could happen — you didn’t follow the instructions. :)
Hi Ms. Connie. I’m planning to give this recipe a try. Will it be fine if I use edam cheese instead of sharp cheddar cheese?
Edam doesn’t melt nicely.
Hi Ms connie,
Sorry I didn’t quite understand the previous comments re how to make this like a spaghetti sauce instead if one doesn’t have an oven. What exactly do I mix in the meat sauce? Do i mix in the entire cream cheese topping mixture?
Thank you.
If you don’t have an oven, find a generic pasta recipe rather than a BAKED mac recipe.
I’ve done this before and i remember this includes tomato paste. How come I don’t see it now? Is it possible to make this w/o tomato paste? What will be the difference?
It does say in the first sentence of the post that this is an updated recipe.
The recipe does not include tomato paste and the photos show that the baked mac got baked without tomato paste, don’t they?
I have been looking for the link page 2 (which you instructed Janice to click) for your Baked Macaroni recipe but could not locate it. My problem are: I want to know how many cups is 4-5 green/red bell pepper and 1/4k of white onion. 1/4k ham/bacon. I am here at Fresno, CA and I could not find canned pimientos here. Likewise, the bell peppers are so big so with the white onion. Please reply to my queries for I wanted so much to cook it for my grand child’s birthday. Thanks a lot for your delicious baked macaroni as you got an overwhelming readers views. Hope I could make it right thru your guidance.
There is no more page 2 because this recipe is an updated version; page 2 was removed during the update.
4-5 bell peppers yield about a cup.
“k” is kilogram.
I have been looking for the link page 2 (of whom you instructed Janice to click) and sad to say I did not find it. I am here at Fresno, CA and these are my problems/queries: Bell peppers and white onions here are so big so I would like to know the equivalent of 4-5 pcs of Bell Peppers in CUPS and likewise, the 1/4k of white onion.
I am a grandma at 65 years old and not fond of cooking but I am interested and wanted so much to cook your delicious BAKED MACARONI, coming from your overwhelming readers views, and serve as a surprise for my granddaughter’s birthday. I am hoping for your kind reply regarding my queries. So sorry for your efforts to be made. Thanks a lot
Hi Connie,
I was wondering why my queries were not posted soon as I clicked it. I need the reply so badly for the equivalent of 4-5 pcs. of Bell Peppers in terms of cups so with 1/4k white onion. Here in Fresno, CA, bell peppers and white onions are so big. I just could not find the link page 2 of the Baked Macaroni recipe wherein the details or infos were published. HadI found it, I won’t bother asking coz I know how busy you are. I am hoping that these queries will have an answers so I can cook it for my grandson’s birthday as my surprise.
First time commenters go through moderation, and first time commenters get a notification to that effect after hitting the submit button.
I have already responded to your queries; there is no need to keep reposting. I am already wondering if you’re trolling because in one post you say it’s for your granddaughter’s birthday, then you say it’s for your grandson… :)
I love this recipe!
Just wondering Ms. Connie, why did you change the quick melt cheese to sharp cheddar? I read from a recent post that you said “cheddar doesn’t melt well.” I’m curious to know if there is any difference on the outcome? Thank you, more power!
Because, these days, quick melt is so full of extenders that it doesn’t actually melt well.
Local “cheddar” doesn’t melt well for the same reasons.
Good quality (real) cheddar melts well especially if you shred/grate or slice thinly.
I see. Thank you for replying.
This was delicious. The whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing.
ms. connie, can I substitute chicken for beef? If yes approximately how much? thanks!
Why don’t you try and let us know how it turns out. :)
Hello Ms. Connie,
I am searching for other ways of cooking baked macaroni for my children’s birthday. Do you thing using bechamel sauce will make a different?
Make a difference compared to what?