Macaroni Gratin is my family’s all time favorite, feel-good dinner. This meat sauce pasta, topped with loads of melted cheese, promises to put a smile on everyone’s face, when grandma comes over for her weekly, winter dinner with us.
The perfect mix of Italian seasoning with just the right amount of cayenne pepper brings that home cooked dish that we love, to life. With the extra large portion size, I am always lucky to have enough to go around, when that surprise guest rings the doorbell.
To make Macaroni Gratin, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat the ovens broiler to 375℉ and set the rack at about 6 inches from the heat source.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until a medium-high heat temperature is reached.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until crumbly and no longer pink.
Stir in the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and salt and continue cooking for another 5 mins until the onion is soft and translucent.
Using a spoon, drain the excess grease from the skillet.
Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to the cooked and seasoned beef and bring to a simmer
Bring the heat down to a medium-low temperature, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Bright a large pot of lightly salted water to a high temperature until boiling
Add the macaroni elbows and cook for 8-10 mins or until al dente. Once cooked, drain the water from the cooked macaroni elbows.
Stir the cooked macaroni into the ground beef sauce until combined and then spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
Broil Macaroni Gratin for about 5 mins in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden
Looking for dish that the whole family loves? This Macaroni Gratin is the one! Promising delicious flavor and a huge portion! Give it a try and tag #cookmerecipes in your winter baking posts!
