This is a baked macaroni dish that Esther learned to make back home in the Caribbean island of Barbados. It is a comfort food, and Esther makes it for her family every Sunday. Because this dish is rich (high in calories and saturated fat), we recommend you enjoy it alongside a vegetable dish and a lean protein, such as the Lemon Garlic Fish Sheet Pan Dinner.
Ingredients
Elbow_macaroni
– 1 lb
Onion
- 1 medium white or yellow, finely chopped
Sweet_pepper
- 1 medium of any color, chopped
Ketchup
- ¼ cup
Milk
- ½ cup low-fat milk
Cheese
- 1 lb (16 oz) of your favorite cheese, shredded
Water
– 1 cup plus more for cooking the pasta
Oil
- ½ teaspoon or enough to grease a pan
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Cook the macaroni noodles according to package instructions and drain the water once cooked, leaving about ¼ cup pasta water in the pot.
Step 3
Return the macaroni to the pot and put back on the stove on a low flame. Stir in the onion, bell peppers, and green onions until combined.
Step 4
Stir in ketchup. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring regularly. If the sauce is too stiff, add more water to reach desired consistency.
Step 5
Grease an 8x8” baking dish and transfer the macaroni into it. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden on top.
Notes
*You can use low-fat or reduced fat cheese to decrease the saturated fat and calorie content of the dish. We have not tested the recipe that way, and melting properties of low-fat cheese may differ.