Ingredients
Macaroni
- 500 gdried macaroni
- 3 litreswater
- 1 tbspsalt
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
Custard and cheese
- 500 gextra-mature cheddar, coarsely grated
- 400 mlevaporated milk
- 2eggs, beaten
- 60 gbutter, melted
- 2 tbspyellow mustard
- 1 tbsptomato ketchup
- 1small onion, grated
- 1 tspBajan pepper sauce (or ½ Scotch bonnet, minced)
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- ½ tspsweet paprika
Top
- 100 gextra-mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tsppaprika
- 20 gbutter, in flecks
Directions
- Boil the macaroni in the salted water with the oil for a minute less than the packet says — it must be firm, because it will keep cooking in the oven.
- Drain but do not rinse, and return it to the hot pot so the surface starch stays tacky and grips the custard.
- While the macaroni is still hot, stir through the melted butter, the grated onion, mustard, ketchup, pepper sauce, salt, black pepper and paprika, and about two thirds of the cheddar so it melts into strings.
- Whisk the eggs into the evaporated milk, then pour this over the macaroni and fold through quickly — if the pasta is too hot the egg scrambles, so let it cool for a minute first if it is steaming hard.
- Fold in the remaining measured cheddar and tip everything into a buttered 25 x 20 cm dish, pressing it level and flat with the back of a spoon.
- Cover the top with the extra 100 g of cheddar, dust with paprika, and dot the flecks of butter over.
- Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 40–45 minutes until the top is blistered dark orange in patches and the custard is set — a knife pushed into the centre should come out clean, with no milky liquid.
- Rest 15 minutes before cutting. A macaroni pie must be firm enough to cut into squares and lift out with a palette knife; if it slumps, it was underbaked or the pasta was overcooked.
Technique
- Bajan macaroni pie is a set, sliceable pie, not a creamy baked pasta. Egg and evaporated milk are what make it hold its shape on the plate.
- The mustard and pepper sauce are structural, not optional: they cut through the amount of cheddar involved and give the pie its characteristic tang.
- It is a side dish, not a main — the Sunday plate is macaroni pie beside rice and peas, plantain and a scoop of pickled cucumber.
Substitutions
- No evaporated milk: use 300 ml whole milk plus 100 ml double cream, but the pie will be slightly softer set.
- Any hard, sharp orange cheddar works; a mild cheese leaves the pie tasting only of milk.
Variations
- Some households layer half the macaroni, a middle stratum of cheese and ketchup, then the rest, giving a visible seam.
- Trinidadian macaroni pie is close but usually adds a spoon of green seasoning and skips the ketchup.
History
Baked macaroni with cheese and Bajan seasoning, cut in squares and served with almost every plate of fish.
Frequently asked questions
What is Macaroni pie?
Macaroni pie is a salad & side from Barbados: baked macaroni-cheddar casserole, Bajan comfort food. Baked macaroni with cheese and Bajan seasoning, cut in squares and served with almost every plate of fish.
How long does Macaroni pie take to make?
Macaroni pie takes 20 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Macaroni pie?
Yes, within limits. No evaporated milk: use 300 ml whole milk plus 100 ml double cream, but the pie will be slightly softer set. Any hard, sharp orange cheddar works; a mild cheese leaves the pie tasting only of milk.
What is the most important thing to get right in Macaroni pie?
Boil the macaroni in the salted water with the oil for a minute less than the packet says — it must be firm, because it will keep cooking in the oven.
