Mom's Creamy and Meaty Baked Macaroni

     There are only a few dishes that remind me of my Mom as my Dad was the designated cook in the family. But I am always reminded of her whenever I would eat her baked macaroni, macaroni salad, cheese pimiento spread, Brüün butter cake or custard chiffon cake that I make myself.  It makes me think of happier times and not all the hospital stays and debilitating pain towards the end. 

     I still have all her recipes which she compiled in a folder for me when she was sick and confined to her bedroom. It makes me smile whenever I would glance at her side notes or find handwritten recipes stapled somewhere in the folder. She used to jot down recipes on a piece of paper whenever a cooking show was on TV way before there was internet. These recipes would end up in books, magazines or drawers all over the house that would sometimes fall out while I'm browsing. 

     It may be a tad late but this is to honor my Mom and greet her a Happy Mother's Day. And also to let her know that not a day goes by that I don't think about her.

     
Creamy Baked Macaroni

Ingredients:

500 grams elbow macaroni

500 grams quickmelt cheese

Meat Sauce:

½ kilo ground sirloin

½ kilo lean ground pork

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 head garlic, finely minced

2 medium onions, finely minced

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 small can tomato paste

2 tablespoons refined sugar

2 teaspoons rock salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water

1 Knorr beef cube

Bechamel Sauce:

1 cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Knorr beef cube

2 cups water

1 big can evaporated milk

1 cup all-purpose cream

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of ground black pepper

To make the meat sauce:

1. Saute garlic and onions in cooking oil. Add the ground sirloin and lean ground pork and cook until meat is brown. 

2. Add tomato paste, beef cube and water.

3. Season with Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper .

4. Simmer for 15 minutes. 

5. Adjust seasonings if necessary. 

6. Set aside to cool.

To make the bechamel sauce:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.

2. Add beef cube and crumble into melted butter.

3. Add flour and toast in butter until slightly colored.

4. Stir mixture vigorously to remove lumps.

5. Add water, milk and cream. Add nutmeg and pepper.

6. Simmer until sauce is slightly thick.

7. Set aside to cool.

Assembling baked macaroni in pan:

1. Spread a little meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.

2. Add about a cup of macaroni and spread evenly on the bottom.

3. Spread half a cup of meat sauce on top of macaroni.

4. Top with half a cup of bechamel sauce.

5. Grate some cheese on top of bechamel sauce.

6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 two more times. Dot the top with more meat sauce.

7. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and top is golden.

8. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (optional).

This recipe makes two-8 x 10 inch pans or one-12 x 16 inch pan of baked macaroni.