Recipe

Trini-Style Macaroni Pie

Recipe
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by aliyaleekong

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by aliyaleekong

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by aliyaleekong

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Vegetarian Holiday Side
Chef
aliyaleekong's Notes: Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year. My family always does it big down in Florida, and I love the coming together of friends and family of all ages, the hustle in the kitchen...
Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year. My family always does it big down in Florida, and I love the coming together of friends and family of all ages, the hustle in the kitchen with my mom and me and other intruders…I mean, helpers ☺, the beautiful cool, fall weather (yes, even in Florida). Ours is a whole day affair with people stopping by at different points in the meal, card games at the kitchen table later followed by a second session of eating in the evening. My husband’s family always does the most delicious macaroni pie, a staple dish from Trinidad. It’s a delectably spicy mac and cheese that is baked and served casserole-style. It’s great because it can be assembled ahead of time if you are going over to someone else’s house.

Macaroni pie is like a blank slate that you can totally personalize. Traditionally, this pie uses full-on spaghetti, but I personally prefer penne because it’s easy to eat, and I love when the center fills with the creamy sauce. I also use a half of a habanero pepper here, but feel free to use as much or as little as your heat tolerance permits – other peppers would work well here too. I’ve seen macaroni pie made with a bunch of different cheeses; I’m partial to gruyere because it’s nutty and works really well with the spices. Again, you can use whatever grated cheese is your preference. The herbs really boost the flavor, and I love the crunchy breadcrumb topping. This is the perfect side dish, truly. Creamy, cheesy, crunchy with a bit of a kick. Enjoy!

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Makes 1 3-quart baking dish

olive oil or butter Ask a question about this ingredient

1 yellow onion, finely diced Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and ribbed, minced Ask a question about this ingredient

3 garlic cloves, minced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 stick unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient

1 quart milk Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon paprika Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon white pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons salt Ask a question about this ingredient

2 1/2 cups grated gruyère Ask a question about this ingredient

2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient

1 pound pasta (I used penne but anything you like) Ask a question about this ingredient

4 teaspoons fresh chives, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups breadcrumbs (panko, preferably) Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
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Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil, and, when hot, add onion and pepper. You want the onions to be pretty finely diced, so they will spread easily throughout the dish and cook quickly. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so until fragrant. Remove from heat and cool in a bowl.
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In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour all at once and whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. You just want to remove the raw taste. Add milk and spices and continue to whisk to prevent lumps (remember to get the corners!). Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes whisking often. You want this to simmer gently while it’s thickening. Remove from heat.
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To the onion mixture in the bowl, add 2 cups of the grated cheese as well as the eggs. Add a ladle full of the béchamel (milk mixture) and stir. Continue to add ladlefuls until the egg mixture is up to temperature with the béchamel. Add everything back to the béchamel in the sauté pan and stir to combine thoroughly and insure cheese is completely melted.
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Add pasta to boiling, heavily salted water and cook until it’s a bit underdone. It depends on what type of pasta you are using. I used penne and cooked it for about 9 or 10 minutes. It’s going to continue cooking in the oven. Drain pasta and add to the béchamel/cheese mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped chives and 1 teaspoon of the chopped thyme and combine thoroughly. Pour into a heavily greased 3 quart baking dish.
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In a bowl, combine remaining herbs, ½ cup of cheese, and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on top of macaroni and either dot with butter or drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes until top is browned and bubbly.
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