Trinidad Macaroni Pie – baked mac and cheese- the Caribbean Way – with tons of flavor. Comfort food never tasted so good! Add a little spice to your life.
You know what happens when you have kids? This happens! You start cooking meals that you never did at home. Because sometimes you just get tired of doing the box stuff, especially after you read the label.
Sure it is a speedy way to make mac and cheese but seriously I think it is not appealing, to put it lightly. Or maybe I should rephrase the statement and say not appealing to me. My sous chef (son) would eat the box stuff everyday. If you ask me, I would say there is crack in those boxes, I kid you not. They get so addicted to that stuff and want nothing else.
This homemade Trinidad Macaroni pie is a whole other story for me. I dig this stuff! Besides, can you really say no to a big pan of ooey, gooey, cheesy deliciousness? And it is a lot lighter than your traditional macaroni pie.
I don’t know about my sous chef. He says he likes it but am not quite convince he likes it as much as the box stuff. I can’t wait for him to outgrow it and join me.
So what sets this Trinidad Macaroni Pie apart? Give me a second – Will you please.
The allure is the spice combination, hot pepper, onions, garlic, thyme and creole spice. It all comes together for the ultimate comfort food, a perfect treat.
Okay, this recipe is not too firm or too creamy. It is just right. Gooey enough when it comes out of the oven and firm enough to slice when it cools down.
If you would like it super creamy add an extra 1/2 cup of whole milk. I usually double this recipe. I top mine with more jalapeño peppers.
Enjoy!
Trinidad Macaroni Pie
Ingredients
- 8 ounce uncooked Macaroni
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoon jalapenos pepper minced seeded
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 egg
- 4 ounce mozzarella cheese grated
- 4 ounce sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon salt I used creole salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoons dry mustard optional
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.Be sure to salt water before cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the garlic, thyme, Jalapeno pepper, smoked paprika for about 1 minute in 2 tablespoons butter.
- Then add onions and continue cooking for about a minute more.
- Proceed by adding the flour; whisk until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until mixture thickens. Remove about ¼ cup of the mixture and slowly whisk with the egg making sure it doesn’t curdle. Dump the tempered egg back into the pan.and mix well to incorporate all ingredients.
- Stir in more than half of the cheese (leave the rest to sprinkle on top) .
- Drain macaroni and add to sauce; stir until coated. Add mustard and white pepper .Adjust seasonings. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top . Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 -30 minutes or until heated through.
Tips & Notes:
- If you would like super creamy add an extra 1/2 cup of whole milk. I usually double this recipe. I top mine with more jalapeño peppers.
- This recipe is not too firm or too creamy. It is just right. Gooey enough when it comes out of the oven and firm enough to slice when it cools down.
Nutrition Information:
Donna says
Omg I love this recipe very much thank you is a big difference to my own♀️
Rein says
This is a wonderful recipe
ImmaculateBites says
Great! Thanks so much.
Zara says
Hi,
This is an amazing recipe. Everytime I add egg to macaroni cheese it curdles. Do you have any tips to stop it curdling? I have tried adding egg when the pasta is cold and when it is hot.
ImmaculateBites says
Hello,
Do you temper the eggs first before adding to the macaroni . If that’s the case then try using only egg yolks . Use 2-3 egg yolks instead . Hope this helps
Zara says
Thanks for the advice. I have not been tempering the eggs, so I will give that a try!
Mike says
I actually had to look up what tempering was. This just proves there is always something to learn when it comes to cooking, even learning a little trick around the kitchen. I’ve cooked using eggs plenty of times, but they can be a weak spot for me.
Nevertheless, I will definitely try out this recipe. It sounds like a great companion to a savoury mince.
Angel says
Ever tried this with spaghetti squash? Would love to see some low carb recipes with this much flavor!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Angel, No I haven’t . Check out today’s post .
Eugene says
Been making Trinidad Macoroni pie for years and not a fan of this recipe it is way more complicated than it needs to be. First observation from the pictures that is not Macaroni that is Penne, no Trinidadian would use anything but Macoroni.
When i say it is too complicated other than boiling the Macoroni their is no other cooking involved apart from baking. The onions, whisked eggs, milk etc are mixed in a bowl cold before being mixed with the macaroni and baked. Have never used flour and have not seen another receipt with the use of flour but to each his own.
Andrea Estrada Loerzel says
Do you have a preferred recipe?
FoodForThought says
I totally agree with you, this is making it more complicated that it really needs to be. Especially when the original recipe is so simple and taste fantastic.
Andrea says
Have you tried it? It uses less cheese and it’s way healthier and still tasty. There’s a reason us WI has high cholesterol. I appreciate the onions and pepper being cooked it draws a nice flavor.
Allan says
Just because it’s called Macaroni Pie, doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to improve it. Penne is absolutely better than macaroni because it soaks up more of the cheese, evaporated milk, etc. than macaroni. I use cannelloni but that’s just my personal preference. And yes, I live in Trinidad .
But I guess the mindset of that’s exactly how it’s always been done so why should we actually improve it, is Trinidadian .
I’m actually excited someone has taken an amazing dish and tried to make it better. Can’t wait to try this version of Trinidadian Macaroni Pie!
All the best to everyone in 2021 (even the haters )
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you, it makes my day to hear that. Cheers to 2021!!!
Lilly says
Love this quick and easy recipe..Cooks please finely dice the onions. I feel my dish would have been better had I finely diced the onions. Creole salt & jalapeño added an interesting twist.
Thanks Imma!!
Brittney says
I like to add lots of cheese and different types can you suggest what other cheese would all blend well together
ImmaculateBites says
You can add any good melting cheese – such as smoked gouda, fontina, provolone etc
Andrea says
There was no mention of when to put the salt, white pepper, and dry mustard. I ended up tossing it in and stirring it up to the best of my ability before putting in the pan to bake. When do i add them in?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Andrea! It’s added after you mix the macaroni and sauce together. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Faneeza says
Can I use red paper flakes since I don’t have jalepenos?
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can. Adjust to suit taste buds .
Nicole says
This recipe looks delicious. I have family members with an egg allergy. Can I make it with out egg? Do you recommend any substitute?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes , you sure can.
Jamie says
I made this exactly as described although I used 8oz of large elbow macaroni cause that’s all I had. It’s really awesome. The flavors really melded as leftovers and it wasn’t quite as spicy, or the thyme as pungent, but it’s really good. The first day it was super potent, I loved it! It was a bit of a thinner layer in a 9×13 pan so just 20 minutes was plenty. Will definitely keep this to make “grown up mac and cheese” again!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. Glad to hear it worked out well for you Jamie
PrincessEsther says
I’m so gonna try to work with this recipe this December! My kids are gonna love it!
Thank God I found you @immaculatebites!
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to have you here PrincessEsther. Do let me know how it works out for you!
eli says
I like your most your recipes and it is more interesting. I am trying to do it tonight and let you know the taste 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for giving it a try.
Dorothy says
This was a great recipe…absolutely delicious!!!
My husband & I loved it!!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Yay!Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Diane says
Yayy I am so happy I found this recipe its so good! Definitely saving
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Blaize says
Is the Macaroni 8 ounces or 2 cups??? because 2 cups would be 16 oz…….
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry about the confusion.It’s 8 ounce uncooked macaroni. Thanks for pointing that out. updated.
Angel says
Hi from London UK. I had a family gathering yesterday and cooked this. It was a huge hit Thank you for such a tasty dish.
ImmaculateBites says
My Pleasure! Glad to hear it was a hit.
Ivona says
Can you prepare this the night before and bake it the following day?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you can.
Tara says
Just tried this for the first time. So delicious! I love the addition of spices without being overwhelming.
ImmaculateBites says
AWESOME!!! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!
Anna Konya says
Is the macaroni pie ok to reheat? If so, what method is best – microwave? oven?
ImmaculateBites says
It’s best served the same day.However, I have tried both methods and they both do the job.Slight preference for microwave… It’s quicker(about 2 minutes ). Microwave using plastic wrap to seal it.If reheating in the oven cover tightly with foil paper to prevent it from drying out.
ImmaculateBites says
Therese ,you bake at 350 degrees .
Therese says
What temp do we bake it at?
Therese says
This looks soooo good! Can’t wait yo try this! Hope the kids love it too
mamsy says
What quantity and type of flour did you use?I sm dying to try this recipe.it looks yummy
ImmaculateBites says
1 Tablespoon All purpose flour . Mamsy, let me know how it works for you.
Lulu says
This is not how you make Trinidad macaroni pie
Susi says
I said the same…this is not how you make any type of Caribbean macaroni pie. So for those who want authentic Barbadian (the best) or Caribbean macaroni pie, please look elsewhere. That being said, I have enjoyed other recipes by Imma so perhaps this is delicious…just not authetic.
Eugene says
Agreed Suzi i have always used the Naparima girls cookbook for my authentic Trinidad Macoroni pie recipe. I gave each of my children a copy of this book when they left for University.