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–+ servings
A slice of orange macaroni pie on a turquoise plate.

Trinidad Macaroni Pie

A classic Trinidadian baked pasta dish with cheese. 
Created By: Shareba
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 40 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ⅔ cups evaporated milk, (measure from 2 cans of Carnation milk)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
  • 3½ cups grated aged cheddar cheese, reserve ½ cup for topping
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a medium baking dish*, and set aside.
  • Boil macaroni in salted water according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the macaroni and place back into the pot, leaving it off the heat to cool down. 
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cook until softened and slightly caramelized. Scrape the onions and melted butter into the pot with the macaroni. Stir to combine. 
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Add evaporated milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Pour the egg mixture over the macaroni and stir until well coated.
  • Stir in 3 cups of the shredded cheese.
  • Pour into the greased baking dish and top with reserved ½ cup of shredded cheese.
  • Bake until the pie is firm, and the top is golden brown. About 35-40 minutes.
  • Allow pie to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

I used a 9" x 11" enamelled cast iron baking dish to test this recipe. If you don't have that size, a 10" x 10" baking dish will also work. You can use a standard 9" x 13" baking dish, but your pie may turn out a little bit thinner than mine.
Tips
  • Cold cheese is easier to shred than warm cheese
  • This dish is traditionally made with Trinidad-style cheese (New Zealand cheddar) but you can use any cheddar you like, or use a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella. 
  • Aged cheddar will taste more "cheesy" than a mild cheddar
  • 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

Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 835IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 598mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition Disclaimer: this nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed.