Caribbean macaroni pie is a comfort food staple in the West Indies. This cheesy baked pasta dish is delicious with stewed or barbecued chicken.
This recipe is a bit sweet and very plain, making it a kid-friendly version of this classic dish.
If you're looking for a more traditional savoury macaroni pie, check out my Trinidad Macaroni Pie recipe.
As much as I enjoy a big bowl of creamy mac and cheese, it will never replace my love for Caribbean macaroni pie.
Cheesy and baked until golden, this hearty side dish is was a weekend dinner staple at my house all through my childhood. My mom always made our macaroni pie a bit sweeter than most people do.
She also left out a lot of the traditional seasonings (onions, herbs, mustard etc.), probably because I was such a picky eater.
After making it that way for so many years for me, and then for my brother, this sweet version eventually became our preferred recipe.
Every Caribbean household seems to have their own macaroni pie recipe, to be honest.
Some people like theirs to be spicy, some people use a lot of herbs. It's one of those recipes that you can easily customize to suit your own family.
As I mentioned earlier, if you're looking for a classic savoury macaroni pie recipe, you'll want to check out my Trinidad Macaroni Pie post. That recipe has savoury ingredients like onion, garlic, thyme, etc.
Regardless of how you flavour your macaroni pie, it will always be delicious with a saucy main course.
We enjoy eating it with stewed or barbecued chicken, but I've heard that some people serve it with fish.
I personally love eating it with stewed chicken, because I can use the pie to mop up all of that delicious sauce.
Macaroni pie might be a bit strange to you if you've never eaten it before - especially if you're used to eating creamy macaroni and cheese. The texture is different, because the cheese isn't melted into the sauce.
For macaroni pie, you just shred the cheese and mix it into the cold egg and milk mixture before baking. This gives you chunks of cheese, instead of a creamy cheese sauce.
Don't let this deter you from trying the recipe though - it's tasty!
There are many ways you can make this dish your own. You can try using a different type of cheese, top it with fresh herbs and breadcrumbs or play around with the seasonings.
My aunt makes a delicious macaroni pie with powdered ginger in it!
Once you make the dish a few times, you'll figure out what flavours you enjoy best.
Again, if you prefer a classic macaroni pie, like the one in the Naparima Girls' cookbook, you'll want to take a look at my Trinidad Macaroni Pie recipe instead of this one.
I love the combination of cheddar or marble cheese, white pepper and brown sugar, because those are the flavours that I grew up with.
This is the mac and cheese of my childhood, and I'm not about to mess around with it.
Caribbean Macaroni Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅔ cups evaporated milk, (measure from 2 cans of Carnation milk)
- 3 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated, reserve ½ cup for topping
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Boil macaroni in salted water approximately 8 minutes, or according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy.
- Add milk, pepper, sugar and salt and stir until combined.
- Stir in 3 cups of cheese, and the cooked macaroni.
- Pour into a greased, 9x11 baking dish and top with reserved ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake until firm, 35-40 minutes.
- Allow pie to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cold cheese is easier to shred than warm cheese
- In Trinidad, people use New Zealand cheddar cheese but you can use whatever you have available
- If the cheese on top begins to brown too quickly, cover it with tin foil for the remaining baking time.
Please read the blog post for detailed tips and explanations.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: please note that the nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate, and has been calculated using a plugin.
Ken
Omg, that looks so yummy! I want a sample!
Veronica Worthy
I love mac and cheese all ways...grew up on the homemade creamy kind...but when made like this...i can't help my self I love it!????... It's Cheesy and simple and great with a side of meat and gravy...
Shareba
I'm glad you like it Veronica! I know what you mean, I grew up on macaroni pie but I LOVE creamy mac and cheese now too 😀 You can't beat the cheese + pasta combo!
REBECCA DE SERRES
Thank you for the recipe, I made one and froze it and now im wondering how to bake it? What temperature & for how long?
Please HELP!!
Shareba
Ooh, good question. I've never frozen one before. I think you could be ok baking it from frozen, but I'd cover it with a piece of tin foil so the top doesn't burn. It's going to take longer to cook than the recipe calls for. Check it after 45 minutes, see how it's firming up. It's done with everything is set (solid), and you can still brown the top in the last 5-10 mins of cooking (take the foil off). Does that help?
Lini
Can you use a 9x13 pan? If yes would you need to make adjustments to the recipe?
Shareba
Hey Lini, sorry for the delay in my reply. Yes, you could totally use a 9x13, the resulting pie will just be a bit thinner. If anything, you may need to reduce the cooking time a bit because of that. I'd make sure to start checking the doneness by the 25 minute mark and keep a close eye on it. I hope that helps!
Earl
Hello can you substitute the brown sugar if you have none
Shareba
Hi Earl, yes you can use regular white sugar instead!
Talia Thompson
I just made this and it is soooo yummy and perfect, how long can I keep it in the fridge would you say?
Thank you so much xxx
Shareba
Hey Talia,
I'm glad that you enjoyed it! If it's tightly sealed, you should be able to store it for 2-3 days. I hope this helps!
Nicky
This is how my mom and the rest of my family makes Mac and cheese, I grew up on this and I’m American. I never really cared for creamy Mac and cheese and I still really don’t. This is thee best way to make it!
Shareba
I totally get that! I thought creamy mac and cheese was so strange the first time I had it, although I do enjoy the homemade stuff now. Thanks for stopping by Nicky!
Leanne Paganelli
I am a little
Confused with the macaroni is it one box of elbow pasta or is it two cups spiked so per box I would double the recipe? I made this but only cooking for two I cut it in half and did one cup of dry elbows to one can of evaporated milk and it was awesome! But now I am cooking for thanksgiving and want to make a few batches of it.
Shareba
Hi Leanne, I'm so glad that halving the recipe worked for you. In regards to the box of macaroni, it depends on the size of the box. I usually buy large bags of macaroni and measure out the amount that I need. The full amount for this recipe is 2 cups elbow macaroni, which is 16 oz or 1 lb. If you need to make a few batches, I would make one batch and bake it. Then make another batch, and bake it. Rather than doubling the recipe and trying to bake it in a larger dish, as the edges could burn before the inside cooks. Does this help? Let me know!
Patti
I’m confused by the amount of elbow macaroni. I weighed 1 cup and it is only 4 ozs so the total for the recipe would be 8 ozs not 16 ozs. Would you please clarify? Thanks.
Shareba
Hi Patti, sorry for the delay in my reply. You are correct, it should be close to 4oz. I just measured mine on a scale and 1 cup of small elblow macaroni gave me 4.9oz.
I made a mistake, 1 cup = 8oz of liquid, but solids are measured differently. Thanks for pointing that out! I will make the adjustment in the recipe.
Larry
Hi I am trying this recipe tonight. Just to clarify, am I using 2 cups of macaroni or 2 boxes of macaroni?
Shareba
Hi Larry, please use 2 cups as listed in the recipe. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how many boxes to use as not all boxes have the same amount. I buy my macaroni in large bags and measure out the amount that I need. I hope this helps!
Kandy
Do I have to use the egg?
Shareba
Hi Kandy, Trinidadian macaroni pie always has an egg or two in it, to bind the filling together. But I have seen Southern pies that leave it out, so it should work if you omit it (although I’ve never tried that myself).
Fe
Hello..... You can make a white sauce also and omit the eggs.....Each culture has its own little secret ingredient....
Shareba
Good to know, thanks for sharing!
Misty
This could be the recipe my mom used when I was a kid. I have searched for years for this. Thank you, I can't wait to try it.
Shareba
Hey Misty, I'm happy to help! Just a quick heads up that this Mac Pie is a sweet (kid-friendly) version. If your mom made a more savoury pie, you might like this one better: https://insearchofyummyness.com/trinidad-macaroni-pie/. Either way, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Misty
The kids version is what I was looking for though I may try the adult version as well. Thanks!
Shareba
Ok perfect!