Makaronilaatikko (Finnish macaroni and beef casserole)
Finland's best-loved weeknight bake: elbow macaroni and browned beef with onion and allspice, set in a savoury egg-milk custard under a golden cheese crust. A little more meat to the macaroni and leaner mince, and it still tastes of the school kitchen. Ketchup on the side is compulsory.
- Time
- 90 min (15 prep + 75 cook)
- Servings
- 4
- Per serving
- 564 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
Ingredients
- 8 1/2 oz pasta, elbow macaroni (sarvimakaroni)
- 1 tsp butter, for the dish
- 14 oz ground beef (95% lean), lean minced beef, about 5 % fat
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Egg milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups semi-skimmed milk, 1.5% fat, fortified
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup grated hard cheese, 17% fat, a 17 % fat hard cheese
Steps
- Heat the oven to 400°F and butter a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12-inch) baking dish; the mix should sit about 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) deep.
- Boil the macaroni in plenty of salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet says, so it stays firm. Drain.
- Brown the beef and onion in a large frying pan over high heat for 8–10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until it is well coloured and the liquid has gone. Season with the salt, allspice, pepper and thyme.
- Mix the macaroni and meat and spread them evenly in the dish.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and salt together and pour over the macaroni, lifting it here and there with a fork so the egg milk reaches the bottom.
- Scatter over the cheese and bake on the middle shelf for about 50 minutes, until the top is well browned and the egg milk has set in the centre (160°F). Leave for 10 minutes so it cuts cleanly.
- Serve with ketchup and something fresh and raw, such as grated carrot or cucumber. Keeps 4 days in the fridge; reheat slices in the oven or microwave with a splash of milk. Freezes 3 months.
Good to know
Can I use regular cheese?
Yes, and it browns a little faster. An ordinary 28 % cheese gives about the same score.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Let the browned meat and the drained macaroni cool completely before the raw egg milk goes on, then cover the dish and put it straight in the fridge overnight. The macaroni drinks up the custard and the bake comes out juicier. Add about 10 minutes in the oven.
Per
- Calories
- 139
- Protein
- (33%)
- 11 g
- Fat
- (28%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (40%)
- 14 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 295 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2257 kcal goes into the pot and 1686 g of ingredients comes out as about 1620 g of food: 139 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.