Macaroni casserole

Macaroni casserole baked with cheese on top

Macaroni casserole is a baked macaroni dish. It is especially known as staple in northern European home cooking. It is a dish of cooked macaroni and a mixture of egg and milk with additional ingredients like meats, vegetables or fish. It is commonly made with cheese and/or breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.

The dish is reminiscent of frittata with the main difference being that it's baked entirely in the oven. It is usually eaten with ketchup.^[1]

Variants by country

Finland

In Finland the dish is called makaronilaatikko (Finnish) or makaronilåda (Finland Swedish), and is one of the most popular traditional dishes.^[2][3] According to a survey conducted in 2010 with 1,100 respondents, it is the second most popular everyday dish for dinner in Finland.^[4] Nowadays the dish most commonly made with minced meat, but is traditionally not made with cheese. However, originally the Finnish macaroni casserole was not made with meat.^[2] When prepared without meat it was often used as a replacement for potatoes in the meal and later on, it became a part of the dish that is known today. Macaroni casseroles are readily available in Finnish grocery stores as pre-packaged meals.

Sweden

In Sweden the dish is called makaronipudding.^[5] The Swedish version is usually made with ham, leek, and cheese.

See also: Frittata

Malta

In Malta a baked dish called imqarrun is made with macaroni, bolognese style meat sauce and egg. Other versions add chicken livers, hard boiled eggs, peas and bacon. The macaroni is usually topped with a layer of grated cheese or besciamella (béchamel) that will melt during the baking process and help to bind and set the pasta.

Indonesia

In Indonesia the dish is sometimes known as macaroni schotel ^[6]. This dish introduced by Dutch during the occupation in Indonesia. Therefore, 'Schotel' or 'schaal' (meaning 'dish'^[7]) borrowed from Dutch language, referring to the container used to make this food. Indonesian version is usually made with cheese and meat (smoked beef is widely used, alternatively sausage or tuna. Sometimes they add potato, or alternatively, tofu to give more Asian flavor.

Sources

1. ^ Finnish macaroni and cheese
2. ^ ^{a b} Näin saat vaihtelua Suomen suosituimpaan ruokaan - makaronilaatikkoon. Elakeläisten uutiset 25.9.2009
3. ^ Tässä on suomalaisten suosikkiruoka. Uusi Suomi 6 May 2010
4. ^ Spagetti ja jauhelihakastike aikuisten suosituinta arkiruokaa. Ruokatieto 06.05.2010
5. ^ Food and cuisine of Finland. (Scandinaviafood.com)
6. ^ Indonesian Macaroni Schotel Recipes. (tukangmacaroni.multiply.com)
7. ^ English Translation for Schotel. (www.eudict.com)

External links

• Glossary of Finnish Dishes